


Buried in your Memories

by SoulCut



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Dom/sub, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Mentor/Protégé, Past Relationship(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-14
Updated: 2017-07-21
Packaged: 2018-10-18 20:58:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 46,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10625019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SoulCut/pseuds/SoulCut
Summary: Percival Graves, currently disappeared, was impersonated by the darkest wizard of their time and no one realised until it was too late, and two people died.The secret to finding him lies with the person closest to him who, ironically, is not aware of their bond.Tina Goldstein must search the story of a forbidden relationship between mentor and protégé, buried in her past, to find the location of the Director of Magical Security.





	1. Prologue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! This is my first story ever, so I'm kind of nervous about it...English is not my first language so I apologise for any mistake. 
> 
> I love the idea of Graves and Tina knowing each other closely before the movie, but it doesn't correspond with their actions in it, so I thought what if she forgets it? Why would she and how would she remember? 
> 
> If she did forget about their closeness their interactions in the movie would make sense.
> 
> Past Graves and Present Graves (the one Grindelwald imitates) are somewhat different. Because there has to be a reason why Graves is so lonely and serious!
> 
> I wrote about the Academy of Auror Training because I want a place separate from the Department where Picquery has more influence. So in that place they would have more freedom, Percival and Seraphina have the same rank in the past, but she is slowly rising above him by meddling into politics. Graves just stays in the force and acts like a true Auror, he doesn't want to get involved in that and that's why she runs for Presidency and he for Director or Magical Security. 
> 
> Thanks for reading and any corrections are appreciated!

Tina Goldstein was having the time of her life. She was also a little drunk, and for the first time ever, but everyone around her was drunk too, so she wasn't afraid of letting loose for once. Not that night, because it was special and she would do everything she hadn't done before just to enjoy it and feel free.

After three years of rough training, she had finally done it: she had graduated from the Academy and was ready to start her Auror career. Tonight Tina and her mates were celebrating. The party was hosted by the Academy, and it was usual that the entire Department got in. Most Aurors did it for the drinks, and to try and get off with trainees, impressing them easily with all their knowledge and experience.

The music filled the heavy atmosphere in the training field. It was a located at the centre of the main Academy's building, which contained many classrooms and minor training rooms. The heat was rising, and the couples danced and laughed loudly.

Being a 20 year old girl with almost no experience with men, Goldstein was an easy prey. She was of average height, but skinny and lacked the confidence of a grown woman. She was sometimes compared to a mouse or a little bird, fragile, easily scared by her superiors. Clad in a modest dress, she looked terribly cute, as most would say, rather than pretty or beautiful. Those words they used to describe her sister, Queenie, who wasn't allowed at the party, to many's regret.

Tina was being entertained by a terribly flirtateous Auror when something in the distance caught her eye. The dark figure of her elusive mentor slipped around her from behind and took off down one of the empty halls.

Stammering quick excuses with a slightly slurred voice, she left the other man and made for the hall, stomach clenching in anticipation. Porpentina knew where she had to go to find him, and kept taking turns and going down stairs to the lower levels. When she reached the teachers offices, she stopped and drew a breath slowly, trying to calm herself and sober up a little. It was freezing down there, the beat of the music and the noises barely reached her ears. Obviously, no one was there aside from them, there were other places, closest to the party, where you could hide with a partner if you wanted.

Tina realised she was buying time out of fear and hardened herself. She was an Auror now, she wasn't afraid of him. With resolve, the Auror kept walking, passing doors until she stood in front of the room 34.  Squeezing her eyes shut, she gripped the doorknob and turned. As espected, it wasn't locked. Darkness and silence met her when she pushed the door open and stepped inside, letting little light in.  
The office was neat and spartan, it's owner was meant to occupy it temporarily, so he didn't try to make it more comfortable. Tina always felt unease in that place.She looked around for him. Porpentina felt a movement, heard the rustle of clothes and, suddenly, there was a warm body behind her. She freezed as a hot breath ghosted over her neck.

"Tina..." His voice was deep and strained, his lips grazed her skin, making her squirm. She felt his hands grip her arms and whimpered. She also felt something was off, but didn't know what. The hands moved to her hips, drawing her flush against his chest. Tina could hear the erratic beat of his heart. It was odd, so very odd, he was nothing but calm, always. He embraced her tightly, pressing his forehead to her shoulder. For some reason, even when her insides clenched painfully in ecstatic thrill, Tina found herself worrying.

"Sir..."

He growled quietly.

"Pe-percival, what...?"

Percival Graves turned her around brusquely. Tina saw the dark eyes she loved alight with a deep sadness, etched with hot anger. His mouth was set firmly and his jaw clenched hard. His hair fell over his eyelashes, casting shadows to his face. She wanted to brush it back, but could not move. 

Her mentor, the aloof and powerful man who had trained her ruthlessly for years, the man she desperately loved, was showing her his emotions for the first time. And they were all making her afraid.

"Tina" he repeated. Graves pushed her towards a wall and kept her trapped. His hands went to her neck and cradled her face, his rough fingers running over her features, as if he were memorising them. They shook slightly with restrained force. Tina frowned, this was too much, he looked at the verge of something, of raging, crying...she did not know, but was going to find out. His small, mousey protégé found it hard to stand up to him, she was always respectful and stayed silent until permitted to speak.

"What is it? Please, Mr Graves, are you unwell? You can tell me" she pleaded, her voice small.

Percival exhaled slowly, his eyes fluttered close.

"Im sorry" he rasped out, and then his forehead was touching hers, and his lips pressing against hers in a desperate kiss. At first she did not respond, shocked, but slowly her lips started to caress his, and her fingers ran trough his silk hair.  As Tina opened her mouth with a moan and his tongue joined hers in a possessive dance, she felt his fingers come to rest on her temples with cracking magic in their tips.  Percival drew inches back, watching his apprentice send a questioning look at him with those big, trusting eyes of hers.

His magic kissed her skin lovingly as he whispered _"Obliviate"._

__

* * *

 

 

Seraphina Picquery was standing proudly as always, her beauty startling and powerful, with her hands over her desk. She looked at Percival long and hard before speaking.

"I have been asked by the higher ups to send forward a name for the post of Director of Magical Law Enforcement. It is obvious that you are the excellent choice: you are a young, incredibly gifted and powerful Auror who is also a natural leader and the smartest of the Department. But most of all, I trust you completely. I gave them your name Percy."  
Percival straightened in the chair,  and frowned.

"Why? Did you refuse them? You have more experience than I, and have better connections." he already knew the answer, but asked to keep the pretense of this meeting up.

"I plan to direct my career to another path, as you must know already, and have full support to achieve such goal. But I need trustworthy and capable people around me, and you deserve this position. No one can do this better than you Percival, going on missions yourself and occasionally training a promising Auror is not enough anymore. You are much needed for higher purposes."

Graves looked down, his fingers drumming on the wooden armchair, this was not an offer. He could not refuse even if he wanted, it was good luck he didn't want to, then.

"Agreed. I will be your watchdog, as long as I have my freedom. Im not to be controlled " he said slowly, getting up and looking at her straight in the eyes.

"Im not asking that of you, if you were not uncorruptible I wouldn't have chosen you. Graves, I only ask of you that you be loyal to the Magical Congress only, nothing more. In fact, it's a requiremnet of the job, if you don't meet it, you will be out even with my support."

"To what else would I be loyal, over my country?" He said, surprised.

Seraphina looked down and sighed. _"Now this is what_ ___you wanted_   _to talk about"_ Percival thought.

"I know you have no living relatives or partner, no liabilities to be used against you, and that is a huge asset to us right now. But there is something you do have..."

"What?!" He snapped, sensing what was to come.

"Your protégé. Porpentina Goldstein. I have never understood what led you to take her under your wing, as she is far below you in every respect, anyone can see that." Seraphina stopped, watching Percival grow hot as anger took him against his effort to look cool and unconcerned "Still, I let you train her, because it's true I may be wrong, and she is something else."

"Believe me, I would not have wasted my time with her if she was what you think she is. But fair enough, she will graduate in a couple of months, and won't be under my responsibility after that." He started to calm down, composing himself.

"You don't trick me, Graves. The girl won't be out of your hair, because you don't want her out of your sight for even a second. You have shown an obsessive tendency towards her that I haven't seen in you with your other apprentices. If you  care for her, that will be a problem."

"You don't have a reason to worry. The girl is a trainee, I'm almost done with her. Just a couple of months and goodbye." He stated coldly.

"That's what I meant by loyalty Percy, I know you, you are lying to protect her, you don't want to push her away. I can see it so easily every time she's with you..."

Dropping the pretence, Graves squared his shoulders, his hands turning into fists inside his pockets.

"Just say what you intend then." he gritted out.

"Stay away from her as much as you can, put some real distance between you. Be as cold as you can be, drive her away." She said, authority dripping from her tone. 

"...I can't, you don't know her, she won't stay away even if I push her, she won't forget who I was as her mentor." he tried to reason with her. Tina would not leave him, she would persist until she knew what problem was between them. She would not leave him alone, she _couldn't._

"Well then, make her forget it." Seraphina knew she was hurting him deeply by saying that, but knew it had to be done. Percy looked at her like she was mad, utterly disgusted.

"What are you saying? I won't modify her memories!" _She trusts me,_   _I_   _can't, not to her._

"You have done worse." Picquery said, unforgiving.

"No" Percival started to sweat, nervously. Tina was too trusting, he would break that trust, he would lose her, throw her away. He had never felt the urge to resign from his job until that day...but he knew there was no going back for him.

"It's for her sake Percy, we can't be selfish with the people we love, we make sacrifices to protect them." She reasoned with him. He wanted to strangle her. By Merlin did his fingers itch asking for it.

"Consider it done" Percival Graves whispered, his black eyes pierced through her and Seraphina knew she had broken him, the last part of Percival's life was gone. Now there was only the man dedicated to his job. And that was exactly what she needed.

 

* * *

 

 

Tina woke up slowly, her head hurt immensely, and she quietly swore to herself that she would never drink again, with a raspy voice. She hadn't actually drunk that much, she was only mildly pissed that night, but there was no other reason for her head to feel at the verge of exploding. She groaned in her pillow and tried to get up carefully, her dizziness only worsening. As she massaged her temples  she opened her eyes to a bright room, full of white.

She was in the hospital wing. _Fuck._

Someone had dropped her off there sometime last night. Which meant she probably had passed out, and by now everyone must know that, even Queenie. Tina wanted to curse, finding that thinking about the night before made the pain in her head multiply. Hissing, she turned towards the nightstand, where a generous sober up potion and a large glass of water awaited her.  Just as she was finishing the dirty potion, the Academy's nurse came fussing into the wing. The hospital was a separate building in the premises, and Queenie would have to get a permit from the nurses before being able to rescue her. Before, the nurse would have to make certain Tina was fit for traveling, either by apparition or floo...and she didn't feel like she was.

Nurse Anny was a massive woman, who had a knack for restraining spells that, paired with her strength, made her a formidable caretaker. No one escaped her if she deemed them unfit for hospital clearance, even the most powerful and respected Aurors, who were well over her in ranks. "Just like Mr. Graves..." Tina thought, and a sudden stab in her temple made her cry out.

Anny turned her head towards her, and left a patient with quiet reassurances. Making her way towards Goldstein's bed, she started to tut reprovingly.

"Girl, you have the worst alcohol endurance I have ever seen. What were you thinking?" The nurse frowned, hands in her hips. Tina closed her eyes and fell again on the bed, groaning.

"Don't know, don't remember" she rasped out.

"Well, I will tell you what _I_  remember: you were unceremoniously dropped in one of my beds, completely knocked out and blurting nonsense form time to time. You even swung a fist towards my face when I got near you. But I decided to forgive you that one" the woman said, mirth lacing her voice.

"...who dropped me here?" Tina said, embarrased, and hoping she hadn't vomited over someone.

"No idea, I was doing rounds on the other side of the wing when my wards alerted me of two presences getting in. When I came to you, you were already alone. They must have wanted to go back to the party, it wasn't that late." The nurse reassured her "Anyway, you have to rest now, your sister came early in the morning, she was worried, said you never drank much and didn't know what came over you. I told her you will be fine, and to come back by midday so you would be well rested. Now is 13:25 pm, she will appear at any moment. You can count yourself lucky, I have 20 other drunks lying in their beds and no one made such a fuss over them as she did over you." Anny patted her almost too forcefully on the knee, and walked away towards the other beds.

Tina sighed deeply. She felt like she was missing something from last night, but as she could remember nothing, she supposed it was normal. Like her gigantic headache. Still, she wondered what had happened and who had brought her to the hospital. More so than all that, she wondered at the feeling in her chest, like she was missing someone terribly, but didn't know who.

Porpentina felt frustration rise in her, as she burrowed her face in the pillows and cried for no reason at all.


	2. Awkward Meetings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First meetings are very important to form a good opinion of the other person. Most of the time.

Porpentin Goldstein, 17 years old. Body tall and slender, could be attractive, but under baggy clothes, made her look rather skinny and unnapealing.

Note: there must be a reason why she hides her more prominent attributes. No young woman did that willingly these days.

Face, somewhat plain, but still graceful. Could be prettier with make-up.

Note: no make-up, she downplays her looks just like she does her body, this is no random choice. Should investigate later.

Brown hair, shoulder lenght, tends to curl at the tips. Delicate eyebrows, long eyelashes, big brown eyes...sharp, direct gaze, an intelligent shine to them, but still...insecure.

Note: Insecurity about her looks or herself? Must check that, Aurors must be confident, she may not be beautiful, but her gaze alone could hook a man if she learned to use it. It's all about the way you carry yourself, if she is insecure about herself, she is out.

Overall abilities...she is lean, has concealed strength in her arms, but has clearly powerful legs. She must have a good kick.

Note: must have done some sort of activity to acquire this fitness. Check on that too.

And her brains. A Thunderbird. Her Ilvermorny records state that she excells in Defense, Transfiguration and Charms, but has good marks in everything else. There are many letters of recommendation. That's good, but doesn't guarantee anything. How many promising kids with excellent records had failed in the training or after, in the field? Too many, regretfully.

Family. Deceased Auror parents, no other relatives but her sister, Queenie Goldstein.

Note: Ah, that's were part of the insecurity came from, a beautiful sister who surely stealed the spotlight everywhere she went. The dead parents, also interesting, lack of support to grow confidence. She was too young when it happened, she must have felt alone and unprotected. Two reasons to apply for Auror training then, the parent's career and the need to feel in control and not vulnerable. Still, few distractions and liabilities in her life, good sign.

  
Auror Graves sighed, placing the file  neatly over a stack of papers in his desk. It was late, and he still had to complete his reports before calling it a night. He stopped his pacing and headed for his coat. That's all he could deduct from a file and a bunch of pictures. The girl was a risk, even with the good signs about her; the family issues, joined with the lack of confidence and the need to prove something for herself...all that rang a bell in his head.

She reminded him of himself, to his chagrin.

There was a chance she could become a good Auror, or a complete disaster. Either way, he was not going to ask to have her. She was a 50-50 chance, and he didn't have time to spare on a bet.

Percival Graves took his long coat off it's hanger and slid into it, mulling over the matter. His decision made, he walked back to his desk, grabbed the file and threw it to the pile of rejected trainees. If she was lucky, someone else would accept her. It seemed this year would be the same as the last four, and he would have no apprentice to torture. His boss would have his head this time.

* * *

 

Tina awoke that morning feeling equally  nauseous and excited. Jumping out of her bed, she put on her slippers and walked into the bathroom. The water coming from the sink was ice cold, and she cringed when it touched her warm cheeks, which had long pillow marks over them. After finishing in the bathroom, she went back to her room to get changed. Tina normally hated that, as the chill of the morning always swept into their apartment. Taking out your clothes to stand naked in the cold floor of an even colder room was not something she liked, but she was so excited today that she couldn't care less and dressed making small jumps to retain some heat. Any wizard would probably warm the room with magic, but she always forgot that option when half asleep in the morning.

There was a mouthwatering scent coming from the kitchen, and Tina found Queenie preparing breakfast. She loved her sister dearly, and felt her nerves go slowly as she listened to the blond humming a familiar song. Taking a seat at the table, Tina squeaked.

"Queen! Is someone coming to eat with us?" The table was full of dishes. Her sister laughed.

"You have to eat tons today silly! I heard the first day of training at the Academy is very stressful, and if you don't eat you might pass out from the nerves" the lively girl gave Tina a quick kiss and sat in front of her. As if to encourage her, Queenie grabbed some toast and put a generous amount of butter over it, before taking a big chunk out of it. She still made it look elegant, while Tina's manners to eat could come across as sloppy.

"Well if I don't pass out I certainly will vomit all this..." Tina said, feeling her stomach tighten with fear" Thanks for getting up early and doing all this for me. You really didn't need to." She tried to force a smile, a poor attempt, as it ended looking like a gimace.

"I did need to, if it weren't for my cooking, you would only eat hotdogs and chips" her sister frowned. They spoke a little afterward, trying to make Tina forget about her fears, and after cleaning everything up, Queenie embraced her sister and whished her the best of luck.

Tina had to leave the apartment and get into the alley between her building and the next in order to Apparate to the Academy's compound. The Academy of Auror Training had two main buildings: the central building was the Nest, it was a maze of a construction, full of levels over and under the ground. It contained the clasroom areas, the training rooms, teachers offices and the residential wing. At the very centre there was the main Field, it was the biggest training room, where the trainees worked together forthe first year, and usually served as an auditorium for some events. Trainees used it to as a point of meetings, where they helped each other polish and strengthen their abilities.

The second building was the library, which was massive, as trainees were obligated to use only approved material to sort through their theorical and practical exams. Information from the outside was less reliable and, when spotted by the teachers, frowned upon.

The third building was the Hospital, which was divided in two wings as the Auror Trainees had to share it with the regular Security Trainees. Not many became Aurors, as it was a job that required wizards of the highest caliber, so the Aurors where a minor special force that dealt with major threats. The minor, regular problems were handled by Security, the officers were wizards with good fighting technique, mostly, but fell shortly on everything else. They had to share the same compound, but had separate buildings and almost never crossed paths. Security had many trainees each year, and the rate of graduation was very high. This year they had over 200 trainees, and they would likely approve more than half of them. The program lasted a year, and many failed Auror trainees went there after beign rejected. To counter those numbers, this year there were 50 initiates, and over the next three years surely only 4 or less would get the promotion. And Tina hoped to be one of them.  
  
One of the very first reasons for Tina's fear was the chance of having an appointed mentor or not. It was asked for the best of the Force to lead and help the most promising students. As there were only 20, and all had good qualifications to begin with, no one ever fell short of having a mentor. Still, it was best to know someone had asked to mentor you to find out you were shoved into their not so willing hands.

Mentors were in charge of monitoring your learning process over the years. They weren't your main teachers, as they had more pressing obligations, but they tested you on your knowledge and abilities and could make a number of changes in the teaching program. Besides, they were supposed to still train you on anything they deemed you needed to learn. By the end of the three years, they ended up training their ideal partner, and after asked to be paired with them or at least have them working in their divisions and missions. Some mentors were truly dedicated and formed great apprentices, some were unconcerned and forced, so they didn't try to make the best out of their protégés. That was a shameful thing that happened often but was not addressed by anyone, and the poor trainees had to make do and hope to still get through examination.

Tina was more than afraid when she reached the double doors that guarded the access to the enclosed area. She felt the wards lift as she passed, and sighed at the sheer power of them. The place didn't need guards, it's magic was so strong and defensive that it's  occupant's never worried about intrusions.

Goldstein walked down the gravy path, she was surrounded by trees, which blocked the view from outside and gave a fresh look to the place. She came to a stop at a monument in the middle of the way and, too nervous to admire it, walked around it and took one of the two ways behind it. The right led to the Security area, and the left to the Auror Training Academy. She took the left. A few minutes later she was standing in front of the Nest, and mustering all her courage, she entered the square building.

 

* * *

 

Percival had submitted the trainees' files, all rejected, early in the morning, and had escaped the Academy through the floo network to find refuge in his office at the Department. But a familiar face was waiting for him when he emerged from the fireplace at the Magical Congress.

"GRAVES!" The voice of the Director of Magical Security bellowed through the spacious Hall and he grimaced as several heads turned his way and snickered. No one but his boss had the nerves to address him as if he were a mere Junior, so everyone delighted in seeing the almigtly Percival Graves get a scolding in front of the entire Congress " I'm done young man, for four years I put up with you condescending, pompous attitude, but this won't be another year I have to watch you scurry away from your duties like a slippery little rat!"

His red faced, bald bull of a boss ranted on, while a small crowd started to gather around them. Percival moaned and pressed his hands to his face.

"I'm not trying to slip off! There are others who will train them glady" he said, trying to send a message with his eyes:I'm _the best here and you know that, right know there is no time to waste babysitting, just let me off already._

"There have been complaints against this for a long time, which I won't ignore. I won't be accused of favouritism and neglect just because you believe you are above this" Harry spat. Percival knew exactly what was happening: the Director was pressed to take action against his will, if he was able to slip from mentoring duty for four years straight was because his boss covered him up. He guess someone would complain sooner or later, but who could force the Directors hand? Well, because of this farce Percival would have a reputation of being insubordinate;  at least his boss would be off the hook. The blame would rest entirely on Graves shoulders. 

He would have to talk to Seraphina about this. She would know who ratted him out.

Harry charged forward, grabbed Percival by the neck and threw him back to the fireplace. The Auror quickly shouted " _ACADEMY_!"  And felt the pull and swirling force that sent him back to that damned place.

At the Academy's main Hall, Tina was sitting in a chair, waiting for a secretary to direct her to her new mentor, when one of the fireplaces burst with green flames, and a man was spit out, hurling towards her feet. She yelped at the blast of dust that hit her face. The man got up with clenched fists, mere inches away from her, and marched away towards the stairs to the lower levels.

The green fire return and another man walked out of the fireplace, fuming. Tina watched, wide eyed, as the Director of Magical Security went to the other man.

As Percival put a feet at the steps, a hand clasped his forearm and dragged him to a small storage room, a few feet back. The door slammed closed. Everyone in the hall shut up, expectantly. Tina could not make out what the hell was happening.

Inside the closet, among stacks of boxes, Harry let go of his employee and started to talk fast.

"Sorry, but this is the fastest way for the gossip to spread. There have been issues with the mission I assigned you. The situation is worst than I thought: they want to get rid of you. So you will stay put here, as a punishment for insubordination, where no one can touch you. Picquery and I will deal with them so you can return, but don't come back to the Department. Here," he thrust a file into Graves chest" this is the kid you will be _babysitting._ I revisited your notes, this was the one who caught your attention. Now, let's get this done with!"

Reading the name in the folder, Graves bit back a groan.

  
Outside the storage room, Tina started to hear a heated argument, the closed door unable to suppress the booming voice of the Director. At last, the secretary returned with handful of papers and smiled nervously at her. Tina felt relief flood over her: the faster she left that place, the better.

"I'm sorry I had you wait for so long. There seemed to be a problem with your file, someone must have lost it in the admission department. You have been appointed to David Rawly. He is going to be mentoring you from now on, and walk you through this week. Just be his shadow, and you will be fine. All these," the woman said, holding the papers towards her" are the documents you have to fill and bring me by the end of the day. David will help you with them, I'm sure."

Taking the papers, Tina smiled and thanked the woman. She stood up and shook the dust off her clothes with a sweep of her wand.

"David is a dear, don't be nervous. David!!" The secretary shouted, waving at a tall, blonde man who was standing far away from them, seemingly looking for someone" She's here!"

The blond stranger turned towards them and gave them a charming smile, which fell promptly when the storage room's door swung open and two fuming men came out. Everyone saw the Director wave a threatening finger in front of the other man's darkened face, mutter something and leave through the fireplace in a whirl of green.

Immediately, the people in the hall resumed their tasks loudly, without looking at the Auror in the middle of room. As David started to get near Tina and the Secretary, Percival scanned the hall in search of his new torment, finding her with company. He stormed towards her, and Tina saw him approach with a killing stare directed straight at her.

Queenie's food was coming up her throat as panic got to her.

David, who was pleasantly introducing himself to his new apprentice, frowned upon seeing her distress, and turned around to find Percival Graves standing just behind him.

Graves looked him up and down, sidestepped him, and stood in front of Tina, watching her from above. He opened his mouth and talked to the Secretary without taking his eyes away from the girl. Tina gulped audibly, forcing down her breakfast.

"Give me the papers for this one, I will fill them myself, please Joanne" his voice was deep and masculine, and paired with his dark looks and smoldering gaze, Porpentina felt nauseous again...but for a very different reason. " _Focus_ , _damn_   _it_ "!

"Graves," David said, affronted by being tossed aside " Tina here is my trainee, I filed the request yesterday." Percival directed his eyes towards him, making an effort not to roll them. David was a Senior Auror only because they were lacking in numbers and needed to fill work posts. His ascension was temporary, as he had yet to show the level required to be a true Senior. He should not be in charge of a trainee, someone forgot that detail when they accepted his request.

"The Director himself appointed me to her case, Rawly. I have nothing against you, I would rather not get in the middle and steal her from you. But it was an order. Now, Joanne, the papers please."

Tina panicked.

"But..."

" _Goldstein_. You are stuck with me" Graves sentenced, cutting her off. He shifted beside her and put a heavy hand over her neck, fingers gripping her lightly. Percival showed David the folder Henry had given him: it showed clearly who was the Auror legally in charge of the girl. Looking regretful, David apologised to Tina.

"We may see each other from time to time, and who knows, maybe in a couple of years we will be working together!" He smiled at her. Tina watched the kind man go, distraught, and looked at the other one left, not believing how unlucky she was.

Joanne the secretary sent a sympathetic glance towards her, took the now useless papers from her hands and walked away.

Uncomfortable silence followed. Tina felt the tips of his fingers move over her skin, sendig an electrical current over her body. Eyes cast down, hands joined and trembling, Tina waited for him to speak, to let go of her, to do _something._ As he did neither of those, she glanced up quickly to find him staring again at her. She shuddered.

Percival was analysing everything about her, and decided that his deductions about her were certainly true. He could feel her tense when he touched her, and smirked when she didn't step away. He didn't think she was a coward, merely eager to please and afraid of disappointing. He wouldn't have to fight her every step of the way.

He gave her neck a light squeeze, chuckling as she jumped, and let go.

"Come, let's see what you can do" he said to her, starting to head for a training room. Her first day would certainly be unorthodox, but he was against the Academy's methods. If he had to stay holed up in that place, he might as well use his time to mold the kind of Auror he knew the force needed.

He would not be merciful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I'm not giving Tina a lot of time to develop, but Percival had to be forced into being her teacher and that's not something I could do in a paragraph.
> 
> I'm basing Percy's looks on Ray from In Bruges. Great movie! Also, his relationships with Henry is inspired by the movie too. Graves isn't that serious yet, you can tell by the way he isn't terribly concerned by Harry's news, only to the people who don't know him fear h because of his reputation.
> 
> There is a reason why I'm making him get into trouble. Bear with me!


	3. Relationship Dynamics

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Percival and Tina start to fit into each other's lives.

_I hate him_.

As Tina hit the floor with a thud, she felt something bump inside her head. Hoping her brain wasn't too damaged, she struggled to get up, feeling the coppery taste of blood in her mouth. She had bit her lip again.

"Again, Goldstein! You can hardly last a minute against me, and I'm not even punching you back. Imagine how this fight would be if I knocked the breath out of you!" Her mentor shouted, standing over her. Suddendly, a heavy boot stomped her back to the floor. Her chin hit the floor and her teeth clashed. Tina was exhausted, hurt, and angry, so very angry.

"Imagine if I kicked your stomach over and over again!" He grabbed a fist of her hair, lifted her head, and kept shouting in her ear" Imagine what a real fight would be like, Goldstein. You could have been raped already...certainly would end up being beaten up to _death."_

 _I **fucking** hate him_.

"Get up" he spat, dropping her head.

_So much._

Tina's head started to spin, but still she pushed herself up, slowly, painfully.

They had dedicated and entire month to phisical training, no magic involved. It seemed that according to him, the priority wasn't magic, but basic, no-maj self defense. Damn the protocol and the Academy's methods. It had been her first day at the Academy, they hadn't spoken more than five words to each other, and he took her to a training room. He told her he needed to make sure she could defend herself before throwing himself over her. A month had gone by, and she still was unable to get a single word of approval. It seemed when Tina finally did something right, he found a way to undermine her achievements and keep pushing her. He pushed her so far. She didn't complain though, Tina knew what it took to become and Auror, and she would not chicken out. She would never give _him_ the satisfaction.

As Tina regained her senses, she looked around, trying to find him. The worst mistake she could make was to lose him from her sight. Graves was standing a few feet away from her, looking at her without an ounce of pity. He had the incredible annoying habit of cracking his fists every five minutes when they were fighting.

_Can't believe I ever thought him handsome. What the hell was I thinking about?? He's a pain in the ass!_

Tina squared her shoulders and bent her legs, no way was she going to attack him first. She had tried that a couple of times, until she got tired of landing on her ass. He had taught her every way to block, attack, immobilize, and permanently disable an enemy. She knew she was able to fight, but just couldn't face him. He was so big and heavy, and his crazed eyes made her freeze whenever the adrenaline took him. But he wouldn't let her have another opponent.

Graves looked that way just now. He started circling her slowly; to Tina, he was wolf, tiring her first, leaping to finish her later.

"Do you know what your problem is, Goldstein? You want recognition." He said, grinning at her" You desperately need for someone to pat you on the back, tell you what a good girl you are...I bet you are _dying_ to get my approval. You try so much, it's almost adorable" he laughed coldly.

Tina felt something in her chest tighten.

"Is that what you want? Do you want me to tell you how much potential you have? You want me to clap at you, Goldstein?" He asked, dead serious now. He kept circling her, closing in on her slowly. He licked his lips" I know you yearn for it."

The pressure on her chest traveled to her stomach. Tina felt her muscles tense, her body taut, like a stretched rope. Her blood felt hot all over her body, pounding madly in her ears. Her fists trembled from contained energy, nails digging into her skin.

But there was no pain.

Tina could swear, in that moment, she saw _red._

  
Percival looked into the eyes of his apprentice. _Finally,_ he thought.

"But I won't clap at you. I won't pat you on the back. Do you know why, Goldstein?"

Graves stopped just in front of her.

"No one learns from compliments and applause. Perfect little trainees like you are dead Aurors in the making, Tina" he smirked, and attacked.

Tina didn't know what happened. It had been a lapse of judgement, she wasn't really there. She couldn't have done that. No way.

The girl shouted loudly. She threw herself over him, grabbing his wrist mid-punch and twisted his arm behind his back, pulling mercilessly at it. When Graves looped his other arm around her neck and threw her forward and over his head, the girl gripped the back of his head and slammed it into her knee. She felt him groan and chuckle, and the hot liquid in her veins pooled in her hands. Her fists flew towards his face. He deflected the punches, but missed one to the kidneys, making him double over for a second. And the girl connected a second blow to his mocking grin, drawing blood.

Percival backed off slightly, bathing in the sight in front of him: Tina's blows were enhanced with raw magic. It was unbelievable. Her eyes were glazed over with a need to hurt. To hurt him, specifically. He had worked on this for a month, trying to get his little bird to lash out...never had he thought she could be this beautiful. Frail but powerful, kind but dangerous. In spite of the pain, Percival had never felt more turned on in his life. Little Tina was showing her wilder side.

But it was time to end things, he had made his point and she had exelled in combat. The strain on her magic would drain her.

As Tina attacked him again, Percival stopped playing. He took her arm in much the same fashion as she had before, fighting her increased strength, and dragged her closer. She lost hed footing, and he swept  a kick at her other leg, making her fall heavily on the ground. Before she stood again, he dropped his full weight over her, straddling her back and pinning her arms down with his hands.

"Tina. Tina come back, training is over, little bird." He literally purred out, heavily aroused by now. He tried to focus, using one hand to caress her hair. Her breathing was erratic, but she slowly calmed down.

Tina closed her eyes, not believing what she had done.

"You did it Tina, while your stupid mates are desperately trying to pass their lessons, you already learned how to knock them all down without drawing out your wand" Percival let out a breathless laugh"...magical infused strength, who would have known! You are _amazing"_ Tina felt him press his lips to her neck, searing her flesh. Although ashamed, she started to see just what she had done, and marveled at the result of such painful training. She also was aware of his body pressed agaisnt her, of all the words he said to her when proud or..dare she say it? aroused, and felt body shiver with excitement.

Graves pulled away from her and went to collect his vest and wand.

"Does this mean this is over?" She croaked out from the floor. The adrenaline was dissapearing from her system, and the pain was coming back full force now. She heard him chuckle and rolled her eyes.

"Come on, Goldstein... Bored already? You completed the phisical bit in an anger induced state. To pass this exam, you must do this again, but with a cool head."

"That's gonna take another whole month!" She cried out, still sprawled over the floor.

"Not my problem Goldstein"

"Mr  Graves! Don't forget to take your work to Joanne! She's going to be pissed at you if you forget again!" She shouted at him as he made his way out.

Her mentor just smirked, finally leaving her alone for the day.

 

 

Tina felt her joy at finally making progress wear off, leaving place for the uncertainties to return:

It had been a month and, even through she had started to comprehend better her complex mentor and his methods, she couldn't avoid thinking about how wrong things were with him.

Your mentor wasn't supposed to hurt you so bad, she had spied on other trainee's lessons and they weren't half as tough as hers most of the time. And they studied a lot more theory.

And she was pretty sure none of them were caressed, or kissed on their skin, or called pet names, by their mentors as hers did. She didn't want to get him in trouble, but _why wasn't she upset by it?_ Tina was lucky her sister had started working at the Magical Congress and they didn't share so much time together anymore, because she was finding it hard to keep this away from her.

Graves had started putting a hand on her neck as they walked to and fro the first days. He occasionally squeezed a little when he wanted her to be quiet or respond to him. She was very uncomfortable with that as it made her feel under his control. Like a pet.

But then, around the second week, he also started to give signs of actually liking her, not just bearing with her presence to run away as soon as he could.

He grinned, and chuckled, and occasionally watched her with a little smile when she was doing something he deemed 'adorable'. Those moments made her blush and forget about his bad habits.

  
Around the third week, he started giving her pet names, and looking at her with that piercing stare men had that made her feel naked and afraid. 

Just the day before, Tina remembered, they were walking towards his office when Kevin ran into them. Kevin was one of the other trainees, but was on his second year of training already. He was very nice and Tina had to admit his boyish grin made her brighten up. Up so far, they had shared classes of magic theory and Wizading Law, as she was advancing quickly in her first years lessons, thanks to Percival's weekly disappearances (she guessed it involved Auror work). She had a lot of time to study. So Kevin and her studied together and she liked to think they were becoming friends. Or something else, hopefully. Tina didn't have a lot of experience with the opposite gender. She had always kept close to her girlfriends and her sister.

Kevin was very respectful towards Aurors, so he saluted Graves seriously, and send a smile and wave her way, halting in front of them. Of course her mentor looked puzzled.

"See you in an hour in the Library, Goldstein?" The boy asked her, joyfully. Tina liked how he was constantly in a good mood, compared to...well, the man beside her.

"Yes!" She had said, far too quickly and blushed instantly. Graves had been watching the whole exchange silently, but suddenly she felt his hand squeeze her neck lightly. She didn't know what he was trying to tell her, so she had decided to ignored him "same place as always."

But Kevin wasn't leaving.

"You should go out with us tonight, to get away from the Nest for a little while, you know. The guys really like you, you can come with the other first years so we can all hang out. If you want to, of course" he spoke quickly, trying to sound casual. Graves hand squeezed her neck again, this time harder.

"Oh, that's great. I will try to ask them now and later we can work it out" Tina was so excited her hands trembled. It seemed her mentor was tired of waiting, because his grip wasn't relaxing. Somewhere at the back of her girly mind, Tina registered a warning. Blinking, she noticed the way Percival's jaw was clenched" Erm...Kevin, I really have to go- see you later!"

Her smile was strained as she turned around and kept walking. She didn't wait to hear Kevin's reply, and the fingers at her neck loosened. There would later be bruises, and Tina would have to tell Queenie that training was getting a little hard.

That evening, when they reached the office, Graves closed the door and, without turning, he spoke.

"The boy, is he your classmate?" He murmured, quietly. Tina watched his back straighten, puzzled.

"Yes, I have been allowed to take second year classes, because a few teachers think I'm advanced. He's on them with me, and has been great help, keeping up with second years is hard" she explained, a little proud" but I manage. On the days you leave I study and try to get ahead."

Graves did not respond for some time.

"That's good"

"Well, I showed them what you are teaching me and they were very surprised, said they hadn't had such an intensive phisical training. Their mentors mostly cared about duelling skills."

"Mh, I bet they do"

"And Kevin is amazingly smart, he gave me this idea of-"

"Tina" he cut her, she could not see his face, but his voice sounded off, somehow.

"Yes?"

"Don't get distracted."

"Really? I thought you would notice by now the type of-"

 _"Tina"_ she hated when he said her name like that, like she had done something wrong when she hadn't" I know how responsible you are, but you are young, it's natural to be swayed by _a...boy._ But you are better than that, just don't let him manipulate your time."

 _"Well...you_ manipulate my time, should I be worried, Sir?" She half joked, rubbing her arm sheepishly. She really didn't want to talk about guys with her very attractive mentor. So awkward. Tina watched Graves turn, his lips were pursed as he eyed her up.

"I'm not a boy, Tina" he had said slowly, and for some reason, her heart skipped a beat. She wanted to say _'I know_ ' , because she knew. She had a crush on an older man, of course she knew he wasn't a boy, it was terribly confusing" I'm a man, remember that. Men are different from boys. Men know what they want and how to get it. Men **take** things, Tina." He looked as if he was trying to convey some second meaning to his words, but for the second time that evening, she could not grasp it.

"Well, it doesn't seem like I should worry about Kevin after all, then."

Percival had sighed and closed his eyes, rubbing his hands against his weary face.

"Yes Tina, you shouldn't be worried, not about him..." He suddendly opened the door and stepped away from her, leaving the exit clean" you are too naïve, sometimes. Half of the time I want you to stay that way always; the other, I just want to- to open your eyes." He looked troubled, and Tina was so disturbed by the whole conversation she took off down the hall without saying goodby.

  
On the training room, Porpentina stopped worrying and got up from the floor, stretching her sore muscles. Determination filled her as she made her way to the women's showers.

Tina was seventeen. She knew liking her odd mentor was not good for her. She had to stop thinking about him that way. Her confusion made her anxious and angry, and she wished her mother was there to advise her. Surprisingly, for the first time in her life, she had a secret she could not share with his sister, and her mother's absence was felt deeply.

The night out with Kevin's friends had been cancelled that day, but Tina decided that the next time she would go, have the greatest time, and enjoy being close to a boy of her age. She would forget about Graves.

 

* * *

 

Percival had left the training room in a mood that resembled -but wasn't, of course- happiness. He would never admit it, but having a trainee had brought something new and exciting to his lonely existence. Having her little protégé around, worrying about his Auror work, apologizing for absolutely everything, bringing him food when he hadn't eaten and helping him fill papers just so he didn't stay alone 'till late working...he had forgotten what it was to have someone _there._ Someone who did things just because they cared. No reason behind it.

Because even with your closest partners, there was always a limit. You could not let them in. Caring wasn't an advantage in his line of work.

And he had been okay with that. Until Tina happened by.

Merlin, he didn't want her! She was whiny, and too innocent, he had to worry constantly about her. She never understood why he did things. And she was so headstrong and proud...she drived him crazy.

Percival had trained Aurors before. But he had always maintained a long distance, and never gave them much of his time. They had all turned out fine, excellent, by the Academy's standards. But he was employing almost his entire time to Tina's training.

This was supposed to be a cover, a way to keep him out of the Congress' focus. Percival realised he was getting into deep trouble.


	4. 'Cause you love when you know I can't love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is a reason we are like we are, insecure, distant, lonely...violent, obsessive and afraid.

It would seem fate was determined to stop Tina from keeping to her promise: somehow, for the next half of the first year, Mr. Graves had managed to completely monopolize her time, leaving little to no room for a social life. She could barely hang out with Kevin and her friends _inside the Academy!_ Outside was out of the question. She tried to spend her timd out with her sister, who she missed and needed terribly.

Graves had taken a turn for the worst in all those months, he became even more _intense._ He even tried to talk her into moving into the Nest! He did have a point, it would mean more time to invest in her training, but Tina would gladly sacrifice that for her sister. She could swear Graves had been disappointed, as he became moodier and snappier for some weeks after that, but she didn't care: she had taken the decision to stop being so hook up on his every whim, even though after their argument she was dying to apologize to him, and kept refraining from doing so each day of those heated weeks.

Tina had a hard time denying him anything. But she was sure the main reason why was how convincing he was, how logical and obvios he made things sound.

By now she had successfully passed her Magic Theory and Wizarding Law exams, as well as her Phisical Defense. She was praised for having shortened those classes to half a year, as it gave her real advantage in her training. It wasn't that she was terribly good: Tina believed anyone who gave themselves entirely to their training could achieve the same results. And having Percival Graves help her was an enormous advantage.

Tina hadn't realized just how important and powerful her teacher was. And she was completely grateful to him for investing so much time on her education.

It was Kevin who had told her.

They were hanging out at the Main Field in the Nest, the place was crowded with trainees duelling and practicing different combat strategies. Against the walls were grandstands, which people used to watch or just sit to talk. Tina was happy, as their chatter was purely personal, and not about training, for a change. She got the feeling he was genuinely interested in her, not only as a good study partner, but as a person.

"You know, before I met you, and realised just how great you are...I kind of felt jealous about you" he admitted suddenly, breaking the pleasant lull in the conversation.

"Really?" Tina looked at him, alarmed. Kevin, realising just what he had said, sat straight and rised up his hands quickly.

"It's not what you think! Really, it's just...everyone wants to be trained by the best Auror. Im not saying Cassandra isn't good, but she is not fucking _Percival Graves,_ you know" he eyed her reaction, fearing she had taken offense.

"What do you mean? I know Mr. Graves is good, everyone treats him with a lot of respect, almost fear, really, but Cassandra is a Senior too, she must be as good as he is." She said, puzzled. Kevin shook his head.

"Yeah, but you don't get it. You are new here, so you still haven't heard the stories about the Seniors, but Graves is like a walking legend. He is one of the youngest trainees to pass all the exams and become an Auror, and I'm pretty sure he was the youngest Senior. And his missions, people from his own department really don't know what he is into most of the time, besides he's actually never around. No one knows much about him because he keeps to himself and a small group of the best Aurors. Cassandra knows them, Picquery, Darry and Templeton. They do more than what she is allowed.she couldn't say more. He hasn't even taken an apprentice for four years because he didn't find anyone good enough...and suddenly you come and BANG! he is got a trainee from _the Director's_ orders, and that's you Tina! And he trains you personally on the most important classes" he said excitedly.

Now, Tina liked him a lot, but even she wasn't that oblivious to not notice the exaggeration in that speech. He sounded like a fanboy.

"...I'm certainly extremely grateful and he knows that, but-" she started, but was interrupted by an obnoxious snort. There were a couple of guys who disliked her for some reason, they were all in their second year. Tina hadn't worried much about it, as she knew you couldn't possibly get on with everyone, she only wished they had tried to at least get to know her.

Right now there were three standing below them, just passing by. One of them, James, stopped and crossed his arms across his chest.

"Do you know why someone like Graves is stuck here, with you following him around, Goldstein? Everyone knows that, it's common gossip: Graves made an big mistake, no one knows what, and the Director locked him here as punishment, and probably to avoid him from getting fired by the President himself. The Director chose you to keep him entertained. He must have searched for the lowest trainee, the hardest to train, so as to have Graves completely occupied. Don't get your hopes high, trainee, you are not _that_ special" the group laughed and cheered, and went on their way.

Tina's eyes started to glisten with tears, she wouldn't have listened to James, but _she had been there:_ on her first day, Mr. Graves had been punished by the Director, she had been initially appointed to another Auror, but there had been a mistake. The Director himself had changed her mentor to Graves. And Percival had complained about it, he had been so miserable! She knew from the start he wasn't completely willing to take a trainee, but...was she really chosen as punishment? Tina took a shaky breath and turned to Kevin, seeing in his eyes that he already knew.

"They are just rumors, nothing else! Don't think about it. He is just envious because you are smarter and more capable than any of them. I saw Graves with you, he is truly proud of you Tina" Kevin took her hands and squeezed them lightly" You know it is not true, I heard the rumor too, but no one who has seen you train can say you were chosen because of that. If anything, the Director chose the one with most potential and gave her to the best teacher possible."

Tina looked at their joined hands, blinking hard.

"You are probably right. But I want to talk to him, see what he has to say, he is not very amiable, but he is fair. He won't lie." She took her hands away and kissed her friend on the cheek" thanks, I will see you later."

Goldstein got up and left towards Percival's office, blowing her nose and trying hard not to pity herself.  When she reached the office number 34, she tried opening the door. It was locked. Mr. Graves wasn't in. No matter, he had taught her the spell to unlock it early on. It was nonverbal, and wandless; Tina hadn't trained on that kind of magic yet, as he had promised her they would sometime after the end of the year, if she was so anxious... But he had made her try for several weeks until she could at least open the door.

As Porpentina closed her eyes, she tried to feel her magic the way she had months ago in the taining room: as a hot liquid running through her veins, and she forced the liquid to concentrate in her right hand. It was hard and slow, as she wasn't angry (it was easier to manipulate her magic in that state), but after a moment she felt her hand grow hot and the molten magic, instead of seeping into her muscles and bones to enhace her strength and speed, was released in a silent spell.

The door unlocked.

Tina felt a little better after that, knowing no trainee her age could manage even that.

She went inside the room and turned on the light: it was empty. She decided to take the opportunity to snoop around while he was away. Knowing she had close to an hour before their lesson, she felt comfortable doing so. Besides, she wasn't in the mood to be respectful with him, not until he answered her questions.

Tina got to his desk, and took a seat at his sacred chair, where he liked to seat and watch her as she read and worked on projects. At first it had been unnerving, now it made her feel safe and watched over. His desk was filled with papers and magical instruments. Right at it's centre, for some reason, there was a change of clothes (his fitted slacks, shirt and undershirt). She opened a few drawers and found, at the bottom, a file with her name on it. Tina was surprised at how easy it had been.

She took it out and opened it, dreading what it would contain. The page had a lot of information listed about her, and there were a couple of pictures between the pages. Tina noticed Graves' immaculate handwriting, somewhat screwed, littering the margins of the pages in black ink. She started to read.

 _"Porpentina Goldstein, 17_   _years old. Body tall and slender, could be attractive, but under baggy clothes, made her look rather skinny and unnapealing"_

Tina looked down to her training uniform. She had always preferred wider clothes, she wasn't like Graves, with his stupid fitted, expensive pants that hugged his ass tightly. Or his stupid fitted shirts, that rippled at the movement of his muscles. Or his stupid coat, which sharpened his broad shoulders and fell over his back so _freakingly_ perfectly. She was a normal woman, for God's sake, she used normal clothes!

_"...a beautiful sister who surely stealed the spotlight everywhere she went."_

And it kept going on. There were even notes about her parents. Tina didn't feel the tears going down her face until they started to fall like drops on the papers, smearing the ink at a few places.

It wasn't that she didn't know she wasn't beautiful, she had never cared that much before, she had other qualities. Better qualities. It wasn't that she didn't know he hadn't wanted her. He had made that plainly obvious from the start.

Aside from confirming all those things... He had thought she had possibilities, was smart, and had still discarded her for being a 50-50 chance.

That meant he wouldn't place a bet on her. He didn't have hope on her. It stung.

She knew he had written all this before meeting her but-

A resounding **_crack_** in the silent office made her jump to the roof.

Percival had apparated inside the office. He had apparated inside the ground's. Tina's horrified mind could not process how he had that allowance. She thought about what Cassandra had told Kevin. He was allowed to do things other Seniors couldn't. Fuck. Kevin was right.

He turned around and looked surprised for a second, before schooling his features in a calculating mask. His smoldering eyes traveled from her puffy eyes, to hear tear streaked cheeks and trembling lips, down to her shaking hands, gripping the folder thigh. Recognition lit up his eyes. But he did nothing. Said nothing.

Tina avoided his face, concentrating on the rest of his body, instead. She gasped. His always immaculate shirt had smears of dark, dried blood. His black pants had concrete remains and dust all over them. But he was standing perfectly straight, and Tina _knew_ the blood wasn't his. His right hand was holding his wand. She didn't see it often, as he normally used wandless magic, except when duelling, when he used both. Percival walked forward and set it on the desk. His fingers, coated in fresh blood mixed with dirt reached for the set of folded clothes. They cleaned up in a blink of an eye, and Tina marveled at how effortless his magic was. It was beautiful to see those hands work their magic, but right now, Tina could not stop from seeing the blood staining them in her mind.

Graves vanished his ruined shirt. Her apprentice had imagined how his body would be under the tight clothes that outlined his body. Seeing his naked chest made Porpentina snap, eyes traveling up and down his torso, impossibly wide. _Oh my god oh my god oh my god-my mentor is naked, what do I do??_

_Look **away** damnnit!_

The problem was, she could not.

He was like she had thought: heavily muscled arms, broad shoulders. The bones in his clavicle jutting out, and a powerful chest. His stomach was hard and plain, not lean and defined, as the no-maj boys Tina had once seen working in the countryside, who flirted with women as they worked the ground. But his hips were narrow, and had slightly protruding hipbones. He was almost hairless, except for a fine line of dark hair, almost unnoticeable, starting from his navel and going down under his pants.

But there was something she wouldn't have guessed: Graves had tattoos.

There were sharp black lines that came from his back on both sides, following the curve of his ribcage, and went down to touch his hipbones. Ancient Runes braced his right forearm; magical runes that increased the speed of magic replenishing in the body, she noticed. Tina knew those tattoos were in between legal and illegal practices, as not only were they drawn with silver blades cutting the skin, meaning it required self harm, but the magic was old and the spells were not Congress approved. It was a practice that could seriously damage one's magical core and physical body. A shiver ran down Porpentina's back as she imagined Percival carving the Runes in his own skin with a silver knife.

Mr. Graves cleared his throat, dragging  her attention back towards his face. Hers felt hot. Her mentor started speaking while sliding his arms into the new shirt. It was distracting.

"Let me guess what happened here," he pursed his lips, looking at her as he left all the buttons undone" you heard something, and came here to face me about it...only I wasn't here and you decided to answer for yourself, mhh?" His voice was neutral. Of course he knew about the rumors, but it seem he hadn't wanted to warn her about them. She didn't know what to expect, and it scared her.

"The blood-"

"The blood, as you must have guessed, is not mine. Don't worry, love, I did not kill anyone today...I merely hurt a lot of _bad_ people, in many places. Forget about it, it's the job." Tina had no words to that.

Percival sighed and stepped forward. Seeing she didn't step back, he sighed again and extended one hand.

"Give me the file, Tina" he rasped out.

"Why? Is it true?" She blurted out, tears retuning to her eyes.

_"Clarify"_

"Was I only chosen to be your trainee out of punishment? Am I such a bad choice? Do I have no hope?" The tears fell, she could swear he watched each fall with regret flashing through his face.

"I was forced to take on a trainee, that's true...about the rest, if you truly believed that, then I overestimated your intelligence." He blinked, and took another step closer" The file. Please."

She gave it back.

"I know I'm not pretty, so I don't care if you think so," her voice wavered and broke" but I'm not insecure or-or weak. I know what I'm capable of! And will succeed." She wiped her tears, her eyes hardening, confidently.

"I know" he said softly" But you're wrong"

Tina watched him walk around the desk and tower over her, pushing her against the desk. His hands were hesitant as they reached her stomach, as if he was forcing himself not to touch her. Even though she was decided to stand up to him, she could not avoid glancing at the skin of his chest, the black line that appeared behind the shirt, nearing his waistband. Percival noticed her stare and bit back a groan, throwing his head back. He raised both hands to his head, raking them over his black locks and weary face over and over again.

"You think you are not pretty, Tina...you are so innocent" his head came down, and Tina felt a change in him. His hands grabbed the back of her head and pushed her chin up. His thumb brushed against her lower lip and he watched the motion, mesmerized" you fail to notice what you do to _me."_

Tina yelped and reddened, feeling her stomach churn.

"Do you remember what I told you about men, love? I told you to be careful, because men take things," he closed his eyes, lashes resting over his heated cheeks. He was beautiful" you had to be careful of me, because _God knows_ I want to take you" she couldn't believe what she was hearing. She closed her eyes too as she felt him bend down and trace the curve of her neck with his lips" But I don't care anymore. I have been good, I have been patient, and you didn't get the message...I won't be denied from you any longer. Tina-" he sighed, biting her neck hard" _I_ will break that innocence."

As he said this, he took her ands and laid them in his chest. He dropped his arms and stayed put. Eyes close. Porpentina Goldstein had never touched a man that way, she had never gone as far as a peck on the cheek or a quick, sweet kiss to the lips. She had touched Graves when training, held him, pinned him. But this was different. And she panicked.

Sensing her fear, Graves breathed in slowly, filling his chest with air, then slowly letting the air out. Tina recognised one of his methods to fight nerves, fear, and panick attacks. She started to copy him, matching his breathing and, slowly, softly, as if fearing hurting him, she felt the skin under her fingertips.

Tina marveled at the feeling of exploring another body, discovering the warm skin, the curves of muscle, the hardness of a man's body, so different from hers, so new. She did it with care, because she was caring and truly cared for the man himself. Maybe too much, he was older, he was experienced, he would break her. In that moment she realised what he had meant. Because as she ran a hand through his hair and cupped his chin with utmost delicaly, as she had always fantasized-as she watched that intense and hard man stand still, to let her take control and find confidence, instead of consuming her and taking everything from her as she knew he yearned to do...Tina realised he already had her preciously guarded heart in his hands. The heart she protected from all males since her father, the only man in her life until now, had passed away and broke it the first.

Her lips pressed against his, and Percival's eyes screwed shut, hands balled into fists. He knew she was surrendering herself to him in an act of complete trust and love, and the pressure of something that was not lust hit him in the gut hard. He had acknowledged his lust towards her early on, her innocence drew him like a lamb to a wolf, he wanted to prey on her, and only the breakable barrier of her blind trust on him had kept her safe. He had not wanted to break it, for some reason, he wanted to _keep_ it.

As it seemed, not only she was fighting with her feelings, but Tina was too naïve, too drowned in them to notice. She would never see the emotions storming through his eyes, the internal battle her mentor was fighting against his own crazed lust, as he fought to control the impulse of throwing her over the desk and taking her repeatedly. Of burying himself in that love, taking and taking, draining it all. He felt so _starved_ of it. He could not remember the last time he had seen it, true and raw, timid and bright, just for him. Because of him.

_Why? Why was she in love with him? He had beaten her and mistreated her, laughed and criticized, showed her no warmth, he pushed her away ans yet she loved **him...why??**_

Percival gritted his teeth and backed away quickly, feeling his grip on his mind slip away as the unbearable pain in his gut hit him in his chest, cutting his breath away. His crazed eyes stared at her, and Tina whimpered, unable to understand.

"Go away" he seethed, feeling himself get grabbed by cold darkness.

Tina felt cold grab her too, and restraining a sob, she folded her arms over her chest, as if that would protect her from the stab to the heart. Her eyes were asking him questions he could not answer _'why are you doing this to me? What have I done?'_ and Percival read the worst yet _'It's my fault. It's me. It's always going to be me'_ . He wondered how he was able to use Legeremancy on her at the verge of having a panick attack. It must have been a connection. Through pain. 

He was desperate as another stab hit him, and fighted to breathe again. The damn file was on the floor by now. And he remembered why he had truly rejected her, something he would never tell her: _she reminded him of himself._

"GET OUT **NOW!!!"** Percival Graves roared, his whole body tensed. He was inches away from the precipice...

_They were so similar._

"FINE!" Tina bellowed, voice craking. She turned away and left, slamming the door shut.

 _They were utterly broken_.

Graves mustered the last of his strength and Apparated.

* * *

 

Harry opened the door to his home, feeling the building take on the blasts of raw magic and struggle to still stand. He had been alerted by his wards of an intruder. But the Director of Magical Security knew who was wreaking havoc in his house. He had his most trusted Aurors' magic ingrained in the wards just as his, so they were able to get through them and he be aware of their presence.

His best Auror was, right now, kneeling on the floor of his living room, hands tearing at his hair. The boy was trying hard to supress his magic, but it rattled with the force of thunder, escaping from his body in waves. Hey were invisible, but almost palpable, and they hit the Director as soon as he trespassed the main door.

"Percival... What happened?" Harry asked, his mind reeling, trying to find out just what had happened to his toughest boy. The only time he had seen him this out of control was when Percival was a ten year old, trying to suppress his feelings the day he buried his family. "Perce..."

 _"T-tina"_ Percival rasped out. Harry frowned, thinking.

"Tina, Tina Goldstein, your apprentice?" Harry had met the small wonder that had kept his boy under wraps for so long. He had liked her.

And had seen she had a thing for Percival, which he had found amusing. Oh- _oh..._

"Something happened with Tina, Percival?" He ventured, watching Graves' back straighten and bend forward again. He had, from what little he could view, seen that his shirt must be open. A picture of what had happened started to appear in his mind: Percival would never get this reaction just of getting laid. He had, after all, had his share of women over the years, and _none_ pulled out such reaction out of him.

The crashes and blasts started to increase.

Percival Graves was broken man. He was broken beyond repair, and his will to fight was the only thing keeping him together. His will was a barbed wire that tied all his parts up. Without it, he would scramble to pieces.

And he was _fine_ that way.

There was nothing else in life for him, or so he thought.

His parents had died, he had no family behind. Work was the only thing that mattered to him. Justice was a concept he idealised and hated at the same time: his parents had been denied Justice when they had been killed fighting to uphold it. He had been betrayed by it. But he wanted it, he thought it beautiful.

In a world where there was real justice, no one would be left behind, or taken away. People would live their lifes fully as they deserved. And sons wouldn't have to bury their parents.

That's why he had become an Auror...to fight for a dream. A dream that constantly disappointed him, he was living in a world that never returned what it took.

That's why Harry pitied the boy so much. After all, who had encouraged him to become the best Auror? Who got him the riskiest of missions? Who sent him to brutalise other men to strip their secrets away?

The Director approached Percival, needing to see his face. The frantic tremble of his hands, the raw fear in his eyes, the pain so evident.

  
Percival had lost control: he didn't want to care, it never ended well, people got hurt always. He didn't need to care. Harry had heard his many times. He would not let her hurt him. He would get away, forget everything. No one needs anyone...

Harry could recognise a panic attack in a second, and he tried to calm the man, but approaching more was dangerous and stupid. The Director sighed, wishing he could offer comfort, but he did not know how to handle this version of his complex subordinate.

"Percy, listen to me, you have to calm down. Focus, I know you are scared, I know these feelings are too much...but she is not going to hurt you. No one has ever died of love."

Percival's was gasping. He was desperate. He looked at Harry with watered eyes, he couldn't bring himself to cry.

"I can't ** _. I can't Harry!_** " He screamed, the veins in his neck and forehead popping out.

Losing his cool, and overwhelmed by the situation, Harry took out his wand, there was no other way.

The Director raised the wand to Percival's chest, and stunned him hard.

Graves came down heavily, bumping on the ground.

"I'm sorry" the Director said, anxiously" I hope you will forgive me when you come to your senses."


	5. Bonded

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Percival finally gets what he wanted...if you know what I mean.

It had all went to Hell after that day.

Percival Graves never returned to the Academy, and Porpentina Goldstein, the shining promise of the first years, got assigned to David Rawly, her former, half-a-minute mentor. It turned out he was so under Graves level, he literally had a fit when she announced she wanted to finish her training in nonverbal and wandless magic, so she could advance on her duelling classes another year (after all, if she showed the instructors her phisical and magical fighting skills, paired with those kinds of magic, all together, no one would refuse her)....of course, as it turned out, David was not particularly good at either.

_To Hell with Rawly and Graves, I can do it myself._

Something told Tina, in her gut, that her true mentor had learned on his own. And she knew she was capable. She also knew she needed him, she wasn't advancing as fast now that she didn't have his ruthless methods to follow, but she threw herself to training hard, to the point where her sister had to come to the Academy and plead her to go back home.

Tina had cried when she had left that office. But she had dried her tears with two truths in her head:

One, she loved a man truly, and even though he had left her, she still loved him. It was okay, her feelings would get mended with time, they had to.

Two, she would not let him ruin her biggest goal in life, because even though she loved him with her life, he was _not_ her entire life, and she would take care of herself and move on.

So Tina dedicated the last months of her training, plus her three month break, learning to mold that liquid running slowly through her body, directing it, pooling it in her hands, or legs, freeing it in a silent incantation...

And when the second year of training started, Porpentina Goldstein took the Second Year Duelling exam. Her opponent had been her mentor, David, as was custom, and there were instructors monitoring everything. As Tina appeared and bowed to her mentor, she raised her wand firmly, her left hand somewhat behind her, covered by her body.

David had started firing off spells, he was a good caster, he was supposed to attack her with hexes and jinxes, and such, curses were dealt with in third year. Tina laughed bitterly as she though how Graves would have cursed her ass off by now, he had always pushed her beyond.

Tina blocked David's hexes and countered his spells, dancing around him. She was patient and did nothing reckless. Her mentor, an Auror himself, took notice of her passive and easy deflections, and increased the power behind the spells, shooting them one after another, leaving no break for her.

Tina was deeply concentrated, and not one hex touched her. After five minutes of her apprentice dancing around him, closing in on him in circles, David's easy going manner changed. She knew her silent mocking was taking effect, as Rawly advanced toward her, firing tbe first curse her way. They both heard the dissaproving murmur behind them, as the instructors discussed the change in the rules of the exam. Still, they did not interfere, mildly interested in the young, ambitious trainee.

Tina was waiting for a break in David's attack, she had yet to fire a single spell towards him. She knew he was getting frustrated, as it was obvious he wasn't draining her or dizzing her, but she him. So he changed his strategy.

He started firing dangerous spells: fire blasts, glass shards from the mirrors in the walls. She protected herself from all.

Until he sent her a more _personal_ attack.

From the tip of his wand he shot a bolt of lighting.

Graves' trademark spell.

Tina felt the red take for the second time ever, trying to fight it off. All the months of silent suffering came to the surface boiling. The magic in her veins, always molten and heavy, started to run fast as water.

Tina gritted her teeth.

_He's not Graves-he is not Graves- he's not Graves!!_

Tina lunged forward.

Her wand send a bolt of her own, which crashed with David's and send them both hurling back. She got up first. From her wand she casted a too powerful Expelliarmus, that blasted his wand from his hand.

David got up.

The instructors, thinking the duel was over, stood as well.

But Tina was not over. She raised her hands. Her body fit in a fighting stance, one hand raised, fist ready, the other half open, fingers cracking with contained magic.

"The duel isn't over" David mused, taking stance as well. He was insecure, she could tell. He was good with his wand, but without it, she was better. She had her wand hidden in her pants. Rawly knew she wanted to fight wandless and physically too, and gave in.

His hand moved forward in a wave as he casted a variation of the stinging hex. She moved aside, and ran for him, her magic pooling in her right hand. It was fighting for release, and releas it she did.

Her hand shot up, levitating his body. He struggled, kicking the air. And then Tina brought her arm down fast.

David came down hard to the floor, casting a weak cushioning spell. It saved him, the fall would have broke his arm. Tina heard the instructors gasp.

She pooled her magic in both hee hands, enjoying the power, the easy it was to control the liquid in her veins right now. Tina forced him back up slowly, and her hand, extended in front of her, drew back to her side in a fist, drawing with it David's body to her.

When David was in front of her, he gasped and rose a hand, trying to stun her. But she was quicker, and her other hand fisted suddenly, as she thought hard ' _Petrificus Totalus!'_.

David was petrified, he could not move. The strain in his magic was hard, because without his wand he could not direct it efficiently like her apprentice obviously did, lettig it escape in waves, unable to contain it, as he build up his spells. He made a last try, countering the Binding Spell, and fell hard to the ground.

He laughed humorlessly as he got up, his face screwed in pain and tiredness.

"You put up quite a show, Tina. Let's just end this before my ego takes a bigger blow." He rasped, and fell over her, punching her hard in the gut.

Tina doubled over, chuckling as well, and spread her magic in her muscles, bathing them in the liquid. Just enough to pair with his strength.

He tried to take her down as Percival had always like, straddling her stomach, and grabbing her arms, but her free legs went up and tangled themselves on his neck, taking him down as well. They were struggling, tangled, and Tina's focus slipped lightly as she remembered how Percival would romp with her on the ground, biting her and playing with skin, forgetting the fight entirely. She always fought back the urge to straddle him and make out with him right there, decidjmg on escaping from his attentions. But this was not her love, David was a good man, but far too polite and soft...and Tina realised, she liked her men hard, rough, she wanted a _taker._ David was not that.

She disentangled and fell over him again, forcing him to turn on his back as she bend his arm behind it harshly.

Suddenly the door opened and in came the instructors.

"Halt the test! We don't need to watch more to make a decision" one of them said, coldly.

Tina got off David's back and helped him up. Rawly rolled his arm tenderly, groaning.

"Lady, there is no need to say you passed with flying colors," Tina jumped excitedly" but you won't have time to celebrate. There arrived a message for you, from the Director of Magical Security's office...you are to wait for an Auror to scort you to the Director in room 34. Don't move until they come for you."

"But...why?" She said, dumbfounded.

"The message only said that. We confirmed it was legitimate. You better clean up and head there. Congratulations." The man shook her hand and David's, and they all turned to leave.

"First let's get you to the hospital." She stated, trying to sound unconcerned.

"No, I can go on my own Tina, I'm proud of you...I know I'm not the best teacher for you, but I support you entirely" David sent her a small smile. Tina beamed at him and hugged him carefully" Be careful. You are good, and I know you can protect yourself, but being linked to Graves is dangerous." He said, now seriously.

"Do you think that's what this is all about?" Tina was scared, she did not want to see him, she wasn't prepared.

"Yes, I bet that, the whole thing involving his time here at the Academy, and your training, is dark and clouded with silence. There are rumors, but no one is allowed to ask." He stated.

"Well, I better go then, thank you so much David!" Tina squeezed his hand, and promptly left.

  
Her head was spinning. Her sweat was cold and sticky. She felt she was going to vomit, and thought about the first time she had met _him_. That man always made her dizzy...the **git.**

She went from the training levels to the offices, which were below. Room 34, Graves' office in the Academy, was closed to anyone but her since he had left. But she hadn't gone down there. She didn't need to, as she luckily never left any of he stuff there. Tina had never felt quite comfortable in that office, mainly because she knew they were both alone in an almost empty level (the other instructors and mentors preferred to hang out in their common room, or with their trainees), and also because he had the tendency to lock the door when they were together... At least she knew he didn't when he was alone.

She opened the door and entered. The room was stale, dust had accumulated in the few months he had left. It was obvious he hadn't come back, because everything was in the same place as before. The only exceptions were the bloodied shirt, which he must have took to leave no evidence of his illegal actions, and the her file.

Tina was exhausted. Utterly drained from the duel, even when she knew she had the upper hand all through it. She had achieved a lot in her training, but there would have to pass many years of constant use until she could use her magic the way her true mentor could.

She waited for fifteen minutes, sitting in her chair. She expected someone to knock on the door and enter, and was surprised when a figure Apparated inside the room, making her squeak.

"Sorry! Hey there, dear," it was not Percival, her mentor had a deep voice with a drawl that made her insides churn, this one was manly too, but lighter and with a tone of amusement" it's _great_ to meet you, I heard so much about you! Shame that grumpy git had you all locked up for himself" the man crossed the room in two long strides and kissed her soundly on he cheek.

Tina looked at him, bewildered.

The man was taller than Percival, and lean, he was not dark like her mentor, but looked like a regular guy. Except for the mismatched eyes and the white hair, cleanly cut and styled. His clothes were simiar to her mentor's, that is, more elegant than those of the rest of the Aurors.

"I don't know who you are"she blurted out.

"Oh yeah, my name's Thaddeus Darry" he waited for her to respond, and when she didn't, he sighed, disappointed" he didn't even talk about me, right?"

"No-who?"

"Percy, I'm Percival's partner aand his friend. The guys and I wanted to meet you, but your old man said he would snap our necks with his bare hands if we did" he laughed.

"Mr. Graves has _friends?"_ Was the only thing she could process" I'm sorry, that came out awful, it's just, he doesn't talk or anything with any Aurors here and I thought..."

"You're not wrong, he prefers to be alone, in fact, he doesn't calls us his friends. Perce always tries to distance everyone...which is why you are so.very.interesting."

"...me? Why? I was just his apprentice for almost a year, and now not even that." She tried to reason with herself not to feel hope, _'he doesn't care about you, he told you to go away_ '.

"That's what you think?" He eyed her up " you really don't know what you did to him. Damn."

"Why? What did I do? Tell me!" Tina touched his arm" I...I'm afraid we did not part well and, I care for him, I have been worried about him-even though I want to kill him if I see him" that was the most honest Tina had been with her feelings in a while. She was worried about him, and more so after she realised there might have been a reason why he had pushed her away. But still, that theory meant hope, and she could not take another let down.

"...he's gonna kill _me_ if I tell you," Darry pursed his lips and crossed his arms over his chest " but you know what? I really don't care, you deserve it." He smirked, rounded the desk and sat in Percival's chaid, landing his feet over it" We have to make this quick, as you are expected."

"Yes, about that-"

"The story first"

"Okay..."

"I can't get into details, as it's not my job, but you must know Percival was working on something before being thrown here to train you." Tina nodded, grimacing" Don't worry, he enjoyed it immensely from what I could tell" at that, she blushed" The things is, Percival had a panic attack last time he was here. I don't know the details to that either, but he had to be contained and controlled for some time before being fit to work again"

These news hit Tina hard. Maybe he hadn't pushed her away because he didn't want her, but because he knew he was going to have an attack and did not want to hurt her. _He had been restrained?_ That was very serious. She could imagine Graves wasn't a good patient, and felt so bad as she pictured him raging at the Healers. But why was it her fault? She had kissed him, with his permission. She had been caring. How could she have provoked that?

"Now, he has been given clearance..."

"Will he come back?" She jumped, feeling her heart beat loudly in her chest, the guilt filling her for all those months of hate. He didn't deserve it.

"No" Darry looked at her, noticing the sudden shine in her eyes glimmer out. He turned serious for the first time, and looked at her straight in the eye" Percival has been given clearance to continue on his mission. But he doesn't want to leave again until he sees you. You see, he forced the Director's hand on this, so you will be taken to him. But you must not talk about this with anyone" Tina's stomach clenched at the news _. He cares, he won't just leave._

"Of course, sir" she assured him quickly.

Darry smiled at her, and she felt he genuinely liked her. He was truly different from her mentor, he wasn't so intense and serious all the time, he was...relaxed and comfortable in his skin.

"I saw your test." His soft smile spread into a wicked grin" David is a good guy, but he will never be more than the average Auror. You must have a better teacher. I know you would _love_ to have Percy" Tina flushed furiously, and Darry's smirk widened even more" but as that isn't possible, maybe I can get you someone else. Can't promise anything, as the good ones -such as I- are always occupied with the big stuff, but you know what?"

Tina shook her head.

"Percival was right. You **do** have it in you, I can see why he's so smitten with you...the way you kicked Rawley's ass! Graves is gonna be proud."

Porpentina beamed at him, and humbly thanked him. It felt great to know she was good enough for Percival. She was content as she was, but Darry was the first man she met that knew another side of her mentor's life, and it felt nice to be accepted by him.

Thaddeus sent her a wink and dropped his long legs from the desk. She got up too. The Auror extended his hand towards her and she took it, letting him apparate her away.

* * *

  
They Apparated into a quiet cobbled street, it was narrow, and surrounded by large trees on both sides. The trees had pale trunks and light green leafs, Tina wished she knew more about plants, because she had the urge to know the name of those massive trees. Their branches intertwined above the street, turning it into a green tunnel, the sun breaking through the holes between the leafs. Tina looked at the houses, but she could not see much of them because tall bushes blocked her view. But she knew they would be very big, because they occupied almost entire blocks.

Darry let her admire the place quietly, before grabbing her shoulders softly and turning her around.

"Graves Manor" he whispered and snickered behind her, letting his hands fall from her.

She gasped.

"Graves is a descendant of German and Irish immigrants. His family was deeply involved in politics and had old money, but instead of keeping it all to themselves, they founded the first Auror Department, based on England's. They were very powerful, those first Aurors, and they also were more. Have you never seen the statue at the entrance of the Academy? It's dedicated to the Graves family...Well, over the decades, the power of the Aurors diminished, along with their numbers. Then the Security Academy was founded, and we were assigned as special forces from then on. Keep that in mind, it's useful information" Thaddeus warned her.

"...got it"

The manor was also hidden behind tall bushes, the difference was, they exuded a kind of defensive magic she had never felt before. Actually, the entire place was heavily warded. As they neared the iron gates, which had a gothic G in the center, Tina gulped. She was going to enter her mentor's home for the first time. She did not care where he lived, really, but her curiosity about the place where he had grown up was enormous. She knew so little about him...but wanted to know everything he would let her.

Darry crossed right through the gates as if they weren't solid, and she hesitated behind him. The man turned around and watched, amoused. For some reason, Tina thought, somewhat irritated, everything she did he found funny.

"There is nothing to fear, Graves added you to his 'guest list'  practically a month after meeting you."

Tina was surprised, but remembered that on their first month of training, he was already comfortable and...affectionate with her.

Graves Manor was a beautiful place, the Neo Renaissance architecture made the big building look classic, refined but not overly decorative. Simplicity and equilibrium, Tina saw. The farçade had  greek columns joined by archs. Behind them, double wooden doors awaited them. Grave's home was surrounded by gardens, and Tina wondered if he walked around them often. She also though the house was too big for only one person, and felt sad for him. Her little apartment that she shared with her sister was anything but grand, and still so warm and inviting. She knew the presence of her sister was to blame. Tina realised she would never like to live on her own.

They both neared the doors and, before knocking, a man opened them to let them inside.

"Templeton" Thaddeus nodded.

"Darry" he greeted. Tina watched him, he was older than Darry and Graves, and even though his eyes were not unkind, he had not an expressive face. His eyes were black as Percival's, with dark bags under, but his hair was a dark brown instead of pitch black. His jaw was square and his lips full and defined. He had a spanish or italian air about him. Even though his surname indicated the contrary.

Templeton looked at her.

"You must be Grave's little protégé," the man nodded at her and let them in" come, you must be eager to see him...and get rid of this pathetic excuse of an Auror"

"Hey! I resent that" Darry looked like he couldn't care less about the insult. As Templeton closed the doors, the white haired Auror took her to a massive staircase, led her through a maze of hallways, to another set of doors. This time, he knocked and patiently waited. Tina heard a muffled 'come in', and Darry opened them, letting her in first.

Tina did not notice the vast library, the grand chimney or the paintings that decorated the walls. She did not see the beautiful, large windows with lush curtains... She only had eyes for someone. And that someone was walking back and fort, like a trapped lion in a cage, who halted the moment his dark eyes connected with hers. Tina had forgotten the intensity of his stare, the shock it sent through her body as their gazes met. Her stomach clenched.

They drank in each other's look. Tina saw her mentor for the first time in pajamas. Really. He had loosen wool black pants, tied to his waist by a cord. He had only an undershirt, showing part of his tattoos and his strong arms. His feet were bare. His hair somewhat tousled, he had an undercut, but he hadn't sticked it back, so the black strands fell over his eyes. He had deep shadows under his eyes, and was very pale. It seemed he had lost some weight.

But over all, it was him.

Tina fought the urge to run to him. Half of her wanting to slap him, the other wanting to bury her head in his neck and breathe his scent.

She didn't, because they were not alone in the room.

Beside Percival, sitting with legs crossed and watching her with utmost interest, was the most beautiful woman Tina had ever seen. Even more than Queenie. She had dark skin, perfect features, long legs and the aura of an extremely powerful and important woman. She had been looking at Percival with a delicate eyebrow raised mockingly before turning her way.

That was Seraphina Picquery, the female fatale of the Department. Every male, and some females too, dreamed of her. She was one of the best Aurors. She had the same killing glare Graves had.

Tina gulped slightly.

"Tina" Percival said, breathless.

"Mr. Graves, I-I hope you are well" she croaked out, and wanted to hit herself for getting all nervous. But it was so strange, she was at his mentor's mansion, with the best Aurors there was, and he was in pajamas!! She felt so out of her element she wanted to turn and run away.

But Darry came in and put an arm around her, ruffling her hair.

"Hey Percy, you know I saw your little spitfire here ace her duelling exam and kick _David Rawly's ass_ with wandless magic?" Thaddeus gave her a thumbs up, and turned to Picquery," There is my lovely partner, always smiling and being so nice...Tina, this is Seraphina, I'm sure you must have heard about her, she has a reputation for turning all the heads of the Congress her way-"

"I also have a reputation of beating you up in less than three minutes" she drawled lazily, getting up slowly.

"That's because you used your... _female attributes_ to lure me into a trap. You played **dirty."** He accused her.

"We are Aurors, we play dirty all the time, it's not my problem if you can't handle that." She deadpanned.

"Please, leave us." Percival said suddenly. Seraphina looked at him, unsure.

"I'm not certain-"

"Leave. Im fine." Graves cut her, seemingly returning to his usual, commanding self" I will contact you later."

"Don't let it be too late." She warned him.

"Leave him alone, woman! The man needs some lovin' " Thaddeus smirked, sending a wink in Tina's direction. Picquery pursed her lips distastefully, and left the room, with Darry behind her.

The door closed with a bang.

Percival sighed and closed his eyes.

"I can't stand them anymore" he moaned.

"They are, well, special, I guess" she provided, nervously" I quite like Thaddeus, when he's not messing with me."

"I'm glad you met them, that's part of the reason why I brought you here Tina, so you could meet them. I trust them with my life, and with yours, if need be, and I want you to know you can come to them anytime, if I'm not there. Understood?" He looked at her anxiously.

"Yes, but I don't think that's going to be necessary."

"Still. They would keep you safe if anything happened." He stated.

"Sir, what happened, Darry said you were stranded here because of me-"

"Don't listen to him," Graves looked away" so you finally mastered wandless magic?" He inquired, changing the subject. She let him.

"Yes, I had to learn on my own, and it probably would have been faster if you were there but I'm proud I did it" she said firmly, trying not to sound resentful or accusing. By his flinch, she guessed she hadn't done a good job of it.

"I had to stay away and think Tina, think about a lot of things, and I could not do it with you near" he admitted.

"Why?" She whispered, taking a step closer.

"Because I almost did something you would have regretted, and I don't want you to hate me Tina, I-i can't seem to control myself around you." He raked his hands through his hair, a nervous gesture he never did in public.

"How do you know I would have regretted it? How do you know I did not want you to-to do it?" She hardened her voice, trying to show she knew her own mind and wasn't doubtful.

"Because I'm not good for you, Tina" he said, exasperated" because not only I'm older than you, but what I want from a woman...you can't understand, you are too innocent, I love how pure you are, and I will stain you."

"Explain me then, and let me decide, I can't be innocent if I'm going to be an Auror. That will have to go away." She looked at him straight in the eye.

Percival stood still for a while, deeply troubled. He closed his eyes hard and opened them, and there was that dangerous shine in them again. The one that made her insides melt.

He got nearer.

"Very well. You asked for it." He licked his lips" I want you to love me, Tina, I want to be eveything you have, everything you dream of. I want to be so deeply burned into you, you can't possibly _live_ without me. I want to be the only man to touch you and believe me, if I could, I would lock you away and keep you to myself. Because I want you to be **mine.** And I'm a possessive man, Tina, _no one touches what's mine._ Im selfish and greedy, and I want all your love only for myself."

He came closer. Tina's breath quickened, her cheeks flushed.

Percivals dark eyes looked her up and down.

"I want to have you Tina, I _need_ to have you. I want to be the first and only man to fuck you, I _dream_ of being inside you, of having you moaning my name. It arouses me so much when you call me 'sir', and listen to my every word, it fucking _hurts._ If you knew the things I want to do to you..."

Graves' gaze was feral as he drank on the sight of his apprentice's flushed face, panting, wide eyed, as she backed away slowly. He prowled towards her.

"Belive me Tina, you would _scream_ for release so high every Auror in the fucking Academy would hear it...even your _boy,"_ he spit out, laughing darkly" don't worry, after having my cock inside you, you would never think about him again, love."

Tina's back touched the wooden door, the knob pressing against her back. She was trapped, and he smiled at her.

"I want to mark you, Tina, and I'm not  talking about filling you with my seed...which I will, someday, or biting evey inch of your flesh," Graves groaned, and Tina saw his growing erection through his pants. She felt fear, and something else grow, deep in her gut" I want to mark you with my magic so you can never take me off you. It hurts Tina, it hurts a lot more than these," he said, as he raised the arm tattooed with the magical runes. He was so close, Tina closed her eyes" but you will feel my pleasure and my pain, and we will truly be one. What do you think about _that?_ "

Tina whimpered. The feeling in her stomach grew, and a shot of desire went down to her sex, forcing her to close her tights tightly. She opened her eyes, alarmed.

"Look at you, do you even _understand_ what's happening to you?" Graves chuckled "so, what do you think Tina? Would you have wanted me to do all that in the dusty desk of my office?" His voice was so husky, she felt another pang from only hearing it. Tina rubbed her thighs together desperately" and you are jealous of Picquery, I saw it in your eyes," he smirked" she never looked so beautiful begging for my touch as you do, Tina."

She looked at him, anger filling her face, she tried to slap him, but he pushed her hand away and fell over her against the door, pressing his cock against her stomach. Tina felt the alien sensation and sighed, anger ebbing away"Don't worry, it was long ago, and good looks don't last if you are boring in bed."

At hearing this, Tina was filled with fear.

"No Tina," he grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him" trust me, you will never bore me. So answer my question. Would you or would you not have wanted me to do that to you, that day, in my office?"

Tina looked hard at that beautiful, dangerous man, and felt her love for him equal her desire for his touch.

"First tell me, if I gave all that to you, what would _you_ give _me?_ " Graves chuckled and shook his head.

"Oh love, I would give you everything back" he watched her seriously" I am nothing if not fair."

"Then yes, I would have wanted you to have me in the desk of your dusty little office, or anywhere else...really" she said bravely. Graves heard this and his dark eyes closed.

"You just made me so happy" he rasped out, and captured her lips, lifting her just a little to press his cock to her sex. He moaned." Finally! I was so tired of having to imagine you blowing me off...it was _depressing."_

He forced her lips open and his tongue entered her mouth, wet and hot, tangling with her own desperately. His hands gripped her hips so thigh she registered the pain absently. His own hips were rocking against her, pushing his bulge into her relentlessly. His mouth left hers to travel down to her neck, he first kissed her gently, before biting hard, making her yelp and draw her nails over his shoulders, leaving red marks of her own.

Graves flickered his wrist, and her shirt disappeared, leaving her only in her plain white bra. He looked at it fondly before ripping it off, and staring at her breasts. Gently, he grabbed her ass and lifted her. She wrapped her legs around him, thrusting herself against his crotch.

He moaned in her chest.

"...so eager" he murmured, before setting her on the librabry desk" this one's bigger, 'although not dusty, but it will do."

Tina found herself laughing at his joke.

Landing her on the desk, her chest was now at his level, and he closed his eyes and licked her entire breast, leaving a cold, wet line of saliva in her skin. He then took her nipple in his mouth and sucked.

Tina felt overwhelmed as she saw her mentor lapping and biting her nipple, and only after a moment did she start feeling herself get wet by his tongue. His hand cupped her other breast, massaging it softly. Tina sighed, focusing on his tongue, and the weird feeling of stickiness dripping in her cunt.

Graves then started sucking her other breast, more forcefully this time, as if wanting to milk her dry.

"Tell me" he panted, breaking apart and resting his forehead between her breasts" do you touch yourself?"

Tina looked down on him.

"Touch myself? I-i" she stuttered, feeling like a naughty child. Graves laughed, delighted.

"You have so _much_ to learn, Tina!" And he pushed her shoulders back gently, until she was laying over the table. He then parted her legs, massaging the inside of her thighs. He unbuttoned her pants and slid them away. Again, her underwear was plain and simple. She looked up at him afraid, her breasts coming up with the rhythm of her breathing.

Percival dragged the tip of his fingers from her open lips, wetting them in her saliva, down her neck and chest to her belly, which clenched at his touch. But he kept going down until he hit the waistband of her underwear. Tina's breath hitched, she wanted to rub her thighs together, but Percival was standing between them, and he tutted at her disapprovingly.

"Patience, love" he stuck his hand inside her panties, and dragged two fingers all over her cunt, rubbing them between her pussy lips, and thrusting them inside her hole. Tina moaned and and raised her hips, trying to push him more into her.

Her mentor chuckled again and kept exploring, until he hit a barrier that caused Tina to yelp in discomfort.

 _"There you are"_ he sighed" but you're not wet enough, I need you to be drenched, Tina, so you can take me inside you." He explained matter of factly.

He took out his hand and she sighed, disappointed.

"Don't worry, it wont be long, I could literally cum from just watching you"

"Please" Tina rasped out, blushing hard.

"Im sorry? What do you want, my dear?" He smirked.

"I-i want you to touch me" she said, all red.

"Where?" He lifted and eyebrow.

"In my-my-" she could not even say the word.

"You want me to drag my fingers through your cunt, rub them agains your clit?" He provided.

"Yes, yes that!" She snapped, frustrated.

"Say it then" he said coldly.

"Please Sir, rub my- my cunt with your hand- just please do it!" As he made no movement, Tina raised a hand to do it herself.

"Oh no, I would love to watch you, perhaps another time, but right now I want to be the one to make you cum" he said and in a swift movement, ripped off the garment.

Tina felt the cold air hit her vagina and shuddered, realising she was completely naked before a man for the first time in her life. _And what a man..._

  
Percival looked like a God, above her, looking at her with a ravenous stare, his cock straining in his pants. He looked powerful, strong, and ready to mount her.

His fingers parted her pussy lips and a third started rubbing circles over her clit. Tina started to counter his movements, making small noises. Graves watched her get her release hungrily, thinking about how he had gotten his innocent girl to get fingered naked in a desk by her _teacher,_ none the less. He was so fucking lucky he had gotten her, he could not believe he had almost never met her. He scooped her juices and smeared them over her clit, circling it faster, drenching his fingers again, and soaking her clit over and over until she could take no more and cummed.

His fingers glistened as he raised them to the light, and licked them dry, watched by a mersmerized Tina, whose eyes were half closed and mouth slightly open in a sigh.

"Don't you dare fall asleep and leave me hard like this" he warned, amused. Her eyes shot open.

"More?" Percival laughed again. Tina loved his laugh, he had never laughed so much.

"So much more, love" he took out his shirt and dropped his pants, kicking them off. Tina's eyes widened at seeing a real penis for the first time in her life. He had not been wearing underwear.

"Is that going to fit in?" She laughed nervously. Percival smirked, approvingly.

"Don't worry, you were made to take me in and I to fill you, I will stretch you perfectly" he mused.

Tina looked at his cock, full of embarrassment and curiosity. It was thick and large. She wondered how it stood erect, being so heavy looking. The skin must be soft, and she could see actual blue veins running it's lenght, just like the ones in her wrists. His head was dripping pre-cum, and Tina felt the urge to kiss it away. Percival watched her discover his cock hungrily and amusedly, seeing the need to explore it shining in her eyes.

She sat again on the desk, her pussy rubbing agaisnt the wood, staining it with her wetness.

"Go ahead" he took her hand and wrapped it gently over himself, sighing contently.

Tina brushed her fingers over the veins in his cock, biting her lip. Noting that Graves had closed his eyes, she felt bold enought to tug at it, revealing a bulbous head inside the skin. She repeated the action, making Percival moan and pump into her hand. He still had his eyes closed. She licked her lips and tugged again and, as the bulbous head appeared, she took it her mouth in a caressing kiss.

Percival hissed and opened his eyes, looking at her with a strange expression, less dark and more...she could not say, but her heart jumped at the sight.

She took him again, the wetness in her mouth driving him crazy. Tina also fisted him and pumped, trying to find what made him moan louder.

"I knew-i knew you were going to be a natural" he groaned out, caressing her head and thrusting into her mouth" you are so eager to please" He panted hard" I swear I wanted to fuck your mouth since the first time you opened it _to fucking contradict me"_

After a few more thrusts, he escaped her grasp, his cock falling wet from her mouth, and hanging between his thighs.

He groaned again at the sight.

"Lay on the desk Tina, if I don't fuck your cunt right now I will explode" he grit out. She did as he commanded, and rested her back on the table again. Her cum had started to dry, but having Graves' dick in her mouth made her pussy leak again.

Percival opened her legs entirely and bend down, sliding his tongue over her cunt. Tina cried out, amazed at the feeling.

"Don't worry, I will do it again later" he laughed, licking his lips, Tina saw his mouth was a sticky mess and felt embarrased again.

Graves spit into his hand and massaged her cunt. Tina thought that should have disgusted her, but it only made her more wet. After making sure she was sufficiently wet, he took himself in his hand and rubbed his head against hef clit teasingly. Tina groaned. Graves took one of her hands to her breast and the other to her clit, "touch yourself, Tina" he directed her. As she started to rub and massage herself, Percival took his head to her entrance, grabbed her hips like handles, and pushed her into her. His shaft was almost half inside, and this time he thrusted hard, breaking the barrier in a single movement.

Tina cried out, but bravely kept pleasuring herself, feeling the strange sensation of being full for the first time. Her pussy clenched around him as she drove herself to anothed orgasm. Percival gritted his teeth at the marvelous feeling of being inside her cunt.

"Tina" he rasped" you're so tight, please tell me I can pound you now."

Tina felt small stabs of pain, but they were slowly receding, and her mentor was so desperate, rocking his hips slowly and making an effort not to fuck her into oblivion.

She gritted her teeth and nodded.

"Do it"

Graves lifted his head and looked at her in the eye.

"You are beautiful"

And he started pounding into her cunt, fast and merciless. Tina refrained from crying out, the pain was worth it, she thought.

But Percival stopped.

"Sir?" She asked, not knowing what made him stop.

"Now is the time Tina, I'm inside you, I have to mark you now" she fought to understand what he meant" I told you I would leave my mark on you forever, a link between us that is unbreakable. It's blood magic...and your himen is broken, now the only thing we need is mine."

She did not stop, even though she felt suddenly afraid. She would not deny him anything now.

Percival, still inside her, making a quick thrust from time to time, extended his hand and cut himself in the palm with wandless magic. The blood fell over her crotch, deep red. He then took a little blood from the small tendril that came from her pussy and smeared it with his blood in her stomach. After thar, he started an incarnation. His voice spoke in an guttural language and Tina squirmed as fire burst in her belly.

An agonizing minute after, he stopped chanting and cleaned her lower belly, revealing the tattoo of a glowing rune. Instantly he bend over in pain, as a similar rune was branded into his belly.

As the pain faded away, Percival raised his head and looked at her mark, proudly.

 _"Now_ you are mine" and he started thrusting into her wildly. His cock started hitting a spot inside her cunt that made her whimper, and Tina, overwhelmed with the strange feelings towards her mentor, cried out and fingered herself again, lifting her hips to meet his thrusts.

Percival shouted out, giving powerfull pumps that buried his cock inside her to the hilt. They har reached the point where there were no thoughts but the raw need to get their release. Tina kept crying out as he continuously hit her spot, and suddenly she halted in her movements, her pussy clenching painfully around Graves' dick, milking it out. She had cummed for the first time to her mentor riding her.

Tina collapsed on the table as Percival kept pounding madly into her.

"Tina, I fucking-" he was cut by his own groan, as his cock spurted his seed deep inside her. He pumped out all his cum into her gently, before slowly drawing himself out.

Percival admired how his seed spurted out of her hole, along with her come.  Taking hold of her naked body, he went to the master bedroom and laid her on his bed, covering her up.

Tina was near sleep and burrowed in his pillow.

And Percival sat beside her, caressing her hair until she fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! First of all thanks for the support and the comments, they really make my day :)
> 
> I wanted to say, this being my first story, it's also the first time I write a scene like this. I don't know how it turned out, tell me if it's too bad please!!


	6. Brave New World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We get a glimpse of the world around the two lovers. What is keeping Percival away?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IMPORTANT
> 
> I am sad about the lack of content regarding the politics and government of MACUSA. So I filled in a little.
> 
> You need to know:
> 
> The Magical government of the United States is here divided in  
> 1-the Magical Congress and it's President (in the present that would be Seraphina) which handles the executive power of the state, like Trump.  
> 2-the Legislative and Justice Departments, that are united in the handling of the law. Aurors depend, as keepers of the law, of these Departments.
> 
> The Director of Magical Security handles both the Aurors, mainly, and in a more general way supervises the Security officers.
> 
> The President of the Congress has no power over the Aurors, but can work side by side with the Director, who can listen to him as a superior, but is not obligued to follow their command.
> 
> I know there is little Goldgraves going on, but the story is building up to the future, and we see the important bits of the past and their relationship, to understand how they got where they are in the movie.
> 
> I'm a sucker for political issues and corruption in stories because, well, it's almost natural where I come from :(
> 
> The part were Tina is trapped is based exactly on what happens in my country when people get tired of their rulers. 
> 
> The violence and the police's retaliation, along with the injuries...they are all based on things that happened. People are like that, sadly.
> 
>  
> 
> Please bear with me and comment! :D

Percival Graves watched the sleeping woman for some time, unable to take his eyes away from her naked, milky shoulders, surrounded by her luscious brown hair. He watched her full lips, her hot cheeks, and her long lashes. He felt a pang in his chest.

It had taken him months to come to terms with his feelings. To acknowledge that he loved that soft, impressionable girl.

She was his first love, the first woman to slip under his walls, and matter.

He had had lovers before, and plenty of them. Percival had filled his solitude and need for affection with heated relationships with women he despised. He had sometimes wondered _why_ he always lured the cold, pretentious women around him, when he hated their lack of feelings, their completely selfish, without any dept personality.

They wanted his money, his name. He wanted their bodies, to feel alive in the embrace of a woman, without losing control.

Control was important to him.

Graves was usually a very rough man, he ordered, he punished, he was **always** on top.

He had felt so threatened by that small girl, left powerless and vulnerable under the stare of those big brown eyes, the anxiety made his  brain shut down. Because of her, he revived all those painful memories that he had buried deep inside.

And he had wanted to take everything back, to regain control, to feel safe again. He wanted to take the girl and show her she had no power over _him...he_ wanted to be the one having her heart in his hands.

Percival spent weeks daydreaming of having sweet revenge against that little witch.

Until he realised he was mad. Mad and twisted.

As his fear and lust cooled, he remembered the truth. Porpentina Goldstein was an innocent girl, not a cold seductress, she would give him anything he asked, no matted how wrong or selfish, because she genuinely loved her warped teacher. Tina was everything he had always wanted and ran away from for his whole life. And that's why she turned him wild.

 _For every rip, there is a patch_.

He loved Tina Goldstein, and he was going to enjoy  her, enjoy love, at least once in his life.

So, months later, seeing her in his home, all for himself, ripe for him to take, with hurt and love shinning in her eyes, he was ready to drop his walls.

Tina couldn't have known that that was the first time he had ever _made love_ to a woman. He was not pure by any means, he was a selfish lover and cared only for his own pleasure most of the time, he couldn't bother with what women wanted.

But with Tina...

He had been a little rough maybe, compared to what a boy like Kevin would have done to her. But he had wanted to please _her,_ it was all about enjoying her, not enjoying himself.

  
Percival wanted to join her in the bed, he wanted to sleep in her loving embrace, bask in the feeling of being wanted back fully...

Percival wanted so much, so fucking much.

But he could not give in. He had already allowed himself the chance to be with her once. To acknowledge his feelings and express them the only way he knew how. And he wished desperately that Tina had understood. Because he would never be able to say the words, he was far too gone for that, but he could show her with his actions and hope she saw them as what they were: a message.

He looked at her sleeping form, desperate to communicate with her, but unable to do so.

' _I can't tell you how much I love you because the words cut me so deeply I can't breathe. But you are **branded** in my skin forever, and I am yours. Is it not enough? Because it's all I can ever give you.'_

Percival's fingers slipped over the mark in his body, the magical rune that bonded their cores together.

It was the only way to have her with him when he left. And even if he died then, at least, she would have a piece of his magic  with her forever. Even if the loss tore the bond apart.

It was worth it.

* * *

 

Tina had woken up to an empty, cold bed, somehow knowing that when she opened her eyes she would find herself all alone. The night before had been a clear goodbye, even when she hadn't seen it and got carried away in moment.

She had been left alone after giving her last bit of innocence away and yet she did not cry, or resent, or regret. There was this feeling, this certainty that was so mature and understanding inside her chest that told her she still was wanted.

The man she loved had only one priority in life that could take him away from her. She had always known that about him and would never hold it against him.

For some reason, she felt she understood. And the mark branded painfully in her stomach somehow sent her a comforting wave, a validation of her thoughts that filled her heart and put it at ease.

Percival Graves had work to do.

* * *

 

It was at the end of her second year, when she was celebrating the end of the exams with her friends, that she saw Percival again. The mark in her belly was the only vestige of the first adventure in Tina's life. The only thing left from the strange, intense and fleeting romance between her mentor and her.

Of course Tina had to keep it a secret, and only Queenie and Percival's partners shared it with her.

She had been worried about him. Some days she wanted to scream at him for leaving her that way, not knowing where he was or when he would return. The only thing certain was the danger...because she knew that he was in grave danger, she felt it deep in her belly. In the waves that attacked her sometimes from the rune in her stomach...as if his magic was fighting, trashing, violently colliding against an unseen threat.

But her love for him grew, still. In the ominous wait, she felt herself transform slowly into a woman. A woman who knew herself, and knew the man she had chosen.

She was still sweet and caring, and prone to get into trouble. But she had a quiet confidence that had started to mold inside her as she had first met Graves, and he had showed her her potential.

Tina Goldstein knew who she was and where she was going. And she thanked him deeply for it.

They had not met under happy circumstances, that year later.

Because everything came down fast and hard and his mission, his dammed secret she had no right to pry upon, catastrophically crashed and changed many lives.

* * *

 

On April the 13th of 1914, a failed major raid on a shipment full of Dark artifacts, coming from Russia, ended in the death of two of MACUSA'S members of the Senior Auror team. The details of the case were incredibly scarse, and the testimonies of the imprisoned often contradicted each other.

The Congress analysed the evidence and blamed the Aurors for acting outside the protocol, inflicting illegal punishments over the acussed, and for not taking the precautions stablished to avoid casualties. Because of the illegal brutalizing of the suspects, the Congress had no option but to set them free, confiscating the shipload, to avoid the scandal from hitting the press.

The Director of Magical Security presented a complaint to the Congress, demanding an investigation to be opened, as there were strong leads that made the Department believe the raid had been a set up. A way to frame the Department and question it's ability to train competent and law abiding officials.

The Congress denied those allegations and prohibited the celebration of an Official Ceremony for the fallen Aurors and their families. They were to be buried as common citizens, stripped of their charges.

  
On June the 20th, the Auror Department was brought again to the spotlight as a group of Junior Aurors were accused of participating in the lynching of several no-majs. There were no substantial evidences against them, as the executions were perpetrated with no-maj weapons that had no trace of the Aurors' magic in them. The tension in the Department and the Academy rose higher as the Aurors were released for lack of proofs, but promptly fired from the force.

The Director again stood in front of the entire Congress, denouncing the abuse of power, the intervention on his Department, and claimed the lynchings had been set up too, and there was no precedent of the Congress demoting or firing Aurors, as that was a decision made by the Legislative and Justice Magic Department, to which the Aurors responded and depended.

Again the man was over thrown with the full force of the Congress' power.

On October the 4th, a Minister of the Argentinean Embassy was killed with a curse as he was entering the no-maj Congress to present a speech about the brutal Dictatorship in his country. The Magical Congress quickly solved the issue by blaming a heart attack. The Latin American country exploded in indignation, because the Minister was supposed to be guarded by an Auror , as his life was in danger and he had been given serious threats over the course of his stay in the United States.

The Senior Auror assigned to such job was Jaron Templeton.

The Congress was bewildered by Templeton's declarations. When asked why he had failed to protect the Minister, he simply explained that he had been relieved from his post by an official decree, signed by the President of the Congress and the Director of Magical Security.  Templeton then was reassigned to a raid on the other side of the state, and he followed his orders.

The decree was tested with magic and turned out to be an extremely believable replica, as it had passed cleanly almost every revealing spell.

Templeton was free of any accusations. But he too stood up with the Director and showed his case as a failed set up. He was, after all, one of the best Aurors MACUSA had in the field. They were both mocked and ridiculed by the press and the Congress. Templeton was forced to leave his post for three months as the scandal ebbed and a fragile peace came back.

From November to December, that peace stretched, hiding the tension, the violence inside the Goverment and in the streets. The people started to complain against the Auror Department, and the idea that they didn't do their jobs and were violent and corrupted with too much power spread like a disease in the public opinion, backed by the press. The rumors that had started about an attack at the Department and it's Aurors slowly died as the months of peace dissolved the uncertain and suspicion about Templeton's case.

No one was searching for the perpetrator of the assassination or the person behind the false document, and the strained relations with the Latin American country were handled under heavy silence.

People slowly forgot about it.

But the Academy didn't, and Tina was starting to feel the grip of fear at her stomach.

Templeton was Percival's friend, the man who had greeted her and Darry at the Manor.

Tina feared something that she did not understand. And the anxious waves coming from the rune kept her alert and scared at all times. Percival was afraid too, somewhere, and he had a part in all this, she could swear.

But whenever the idea of looking for him, of trying to help, rose in her mind, the mark burned painfully, as if saying _'Don't even think about it'_. She was getting frustrated quickly.

On the last days of December, while Tina was finishing her last exams, a roar of outrage suddenly raised in the halls of the Academy. She was sitting at an individual desk, ticking boxes and biting her pen, when the Secretary, Joanne, bursted in the room panting, a shocked look in her widened eyes. All the trainees and the instructors stood, waiting.

"There is-there is a Congress meeting today. Rumor says they want to close the Auror Department."

Chaos ensured then. All members of the Academy marched towards the Main Hall, a bustling crowd of indignant and afraid men and women, who tried to get to the floo network or went outside the premises to apparate, trying to reach the Magical Congress in a hurry.

Amongst them, the Security trainees watched and jeered, contempt filling their group, which was twice the size the Aurors'.

-

The Director of Magical Security strode confidently into the Oval Room of the Magical Congress of the United States, directing his eyes forward, where the President sat, surrounded left and right by the most powerful wizards in the government. Harold Sanders Bonneville was a special man, a strong, respectable, man. Director for 12 years, Auror for almost 35 years, he was known to be one of the most accomplished Auror's living. He also was known to be an ambiguous type of person, his methods had been questioned over the years. Harry had no scruples when it came to defend his country, and brutality was a crime people loved to attribute to him. Only in the recent cases that came to public knowledge were these allegations close to the truth (the brutal Aurors that hit suspects and such), but as those cases were false, he almost could have laughed at the fact that he got caught finally...by something he hadn't actually done.

Harry had questionable methods, that was true, it was also true that the Congress and the many Presidents had never done anything about it, and were well aware.

Punching, mildly cursing as a last resort to obtain information, potions administered against the suspect's will...those were necessary evils in their fight. Aurors could not instill respect and fear otherwise.

The best of the best had been trained under his watch: Graves, Templeton, Picquery and Darry.

They had been his protégés over the years, and had achieved the cusp of skill any great Auror worked to get to.

They still were against his methods, and mostly refused to act with violence unless the situation proved it necessary.

Harold cared for them all, and protected them as best as he could.

But now he knew that the circle was closing in on him, and he would have to offer himself to the wolves to spare them.

The Congress had already made the decision, that was clear. First they would replace the Director of Magical Law Enforcement, to acquire control over the Auror forces. They would close the Auror Training Program admission and, after the last Trainees graduated, in two years probably, they would merge the Department with the Security branch. It would be the end of the Aurors.

Harry stood in the middle of the chamber, looking around. He located his boys, Darry and Templeton, hidden in the shadows at the corners of the room, ready to protect him. It pained him to see how he had failed them all, how he had years to prepare for this and still could do nothing.

The President of the Congress rose, and the mutter in the chamber died respectfully. In a powerful voice, but in a tone that showed just how little this meeting mattered to the entire Congress, the man spoke.

"The Magical Congress of the United States of America has called on this meeting today to evaluate the actual situation and relevance of the Auror Department in the security of the Nation. MACUSA has delivered all the information avaible from the Department, to analyse this matter entirely based on facts...as per your request of transparency and objectivity." The man mockingly said to Harold.

" What we found from these files is: the excess of the budget to mantain the Academy running, as well as the funds asked by the Department for field duty. The sums increase over the years, which does not correlate to the decrease in numbers, both of graduated Trainees and active Aurors in the field. Presently, there are 20 estimated Trainees starting their first year of training, of which only 4 to none will graduate in the next three years, and 50 Aurors in the streets. Think about the expenses of training from fifty to twenty people, for three years, to have one or two graduated Aurors...think about the Academy! The 'Nest', as you call it, it's biggest building, which has training grounds, living quarters, clasrooms, offices and more; this building can contain up to 300 trainees...but it's used by, what are the numbers of the First, Second and Third years together? _73 trainees."_

Harry gritted his teeth, willing himself not to lash out at the expected speech. They were first attacking them with money. Very well.

"Think about this: the Security Academy, just a few steps away, takes on 300 trainees every year, and produces an average 240 of graduates _in_ a year. The premises are less spacios or advanced, and they have even less budget. How is it possible to consume so much space and money, with such little results?"

The President stopped, giving everyone in the room a moment to let his words sink in. Harry opened his mouth-

"-and the Director has said many times that his Aurors need this special treatment because of the quality of training, knowledge, and overall abilities...but recently we have seen a lot of proof of this not being right. All the catastrophic mistakes made by the Auror Department in the last months testify of it's inability to properly perform it's duty. This leads us to the conclusion that the Department and the Academy are both not efficient. Whereas the Security Academy and it's branch of the Department of Magical Security are exemplary, by the records we have obtained and studied."

"The Director also stated that we cannot possibly compare the work of the Aurors with that of the Security force, as the first are special forces, more prepared to deal with bigger problems, national and international scale (they deal with dark artifacts' trafficking, dark wizards and witches, magical creatures of the most dangerous kind, dark curses). We concede that the Security force is unprepared to take on these threats. But there has to be an answer to this problem."

"Aside from all this, there is the matter of the handling of the protocol, security rules and all laws that define the legal power of the Aurors. It has come to the attention of the Congress, due to the failed missions of April, June and October, that the Aurors abuse their power over suspects and citizens, committing illegal acts of violence against them. The Department does not keep close tabs on it's forces, it seems, or in their records. We were hard pressed to access the files of the missions, as they were not willingly given and are mostly censured."

The President again paused, lifting a thin brown folder with his right hand.

"The file of Senior Auror Percival Audrick Coen Graves"

The President opened the folder, which was, many noted, impossibly small for an Auror of such caliber.

"This contains the information pertaining the one hundred and forty five missions the Auror has completed over the course of his career. Surprisingly light, isn't it?" The man joked without any humor" there is a rather incomplete but well ordered list of missions by year which ends with his last mission so far..."

The President took a single page out, mostly blank, with bold, red letters spelling _'CLASSIFIED'_ on it. He waved the paper a few times.

"This reports that Auror Graves has been on a highly classified mission for four years, of which we have no information. Director Bonneville...please tell us, what has had your subordinate so occupied these four years?"

"As that page clearly reads: it is _classified,_ meaning I am not obliged to tell you unless I or him are being investigated...as it is not the case, I won't oblige. You will have to pull more strings than what you have so far in order to get into my Department. Breaking jurisdictions does not go unpunished, no matter how high you are in the Goverment, Rodolphus." Harry said aloud, watching the President with ease.

"So, to keep the record, you are refusing from cooperating with the Congress, you realise this casts your Department into more shadows, right?" The other man retaliated.

"I'm not doing it because I have something to hide, rather, because what you are doing is illegally interfering in a Department out of your power, and that is a _very_ anti-republican move." The Director stated" To do this the way it should, leave this matter to the Legislative and Justice Department, they are the ones to decide upon the keepers of law. You are not the No-Maj Congress, you are the executive power of our government."

"Very well, Director. Consider yourself warned, up until this point, this Congress has respected your decisions and judgement, but the decadence you have brought to the Department must be resolved."

Harry played with the brim of his collar, throwing a subtle sign to his Aurors. _Plan B it is._ He sighed, making a last effort to do the right thing.

"For years now there has been rumors of a rising ideology in Europe. The ideals of freedom and magic supremacy have spread over it's countries, and slipped into many young wizards' minds. The war betweem no-majs has penetrated into our world, wizards fight in the Great War...

Today is not the day to rip apart our army. The Security officers can protect the citizens from regular crimes and dangers but our army, our defense against the raging conflict outside our territory, is our Aurors. They will prevent us from falling into this mad conflict. We have acted in silence to prevent war from coming to America. There are no American wizards dying overseas. We are free.

If the Congress meddles with us, we will be vulnerable in the worst possible time."

Rodolphus stood quietly, like the whole room, unable to argue against common sense.

"These accidents, the death of Aurors and no-majs, they are happening for a reason. There is no coincidence in all this: we are fighting instead of aiding each other to strengthen our country against a real threat. Do not be fooled."

Harry took a deep breath, knowing that now was the time.

"But we cannot be united by a man who is not supported neither by the government, nor the people. I think it's for the best...I officially resign from the post of Director of Magical Law Enforcement-"the chamber exploded in surprised gasps" in the sincere hope that another wizard can overcome our conflicts and work together for the greater good."

* * *

 

At that same moment, a startled Tina was waiting on the street, in front of the Congress building, surrounded by a mass of angry witches and wizards. The no-majs that passed by could not comprehend what the mob was complaining about, and the Security officers desperately tried to break them apart, unable to take measures in plain sight.

A cry of outrage ripped through the street as Harry Bonneville, former Director of Magical Security, left the building through the main door, guarded by his Aurors, rather than leaving through the floo network. He stood, awed at the number of people breaking the Law, standing in the street, shouting and trying to get closer to the door.

Security had invaded the whole street, disgused as police officers, and were pushing the Auror Trainees gathered at the front. He recognised them because of their training clothes and angry shoves at the officers. The tension was building up. There were civilians there too.

_Fuck._

Templeton and Darry tried to push him aside, shouting in his ear.

"WE HAVE TO LEAVE NOW!" Thaddeus gripped Harry's arm.

In an instant, Tina, pushed back and forth by the mob, locked eyes with Harry, who stood stock still. They recognised each other, even when they hadn't been properly introduced.

Just then, Hell broke loose.

An officer pushed a man who was breaking through towards the Congress back.

The man fell, his head banging against the hard floor. Some people helped him up, and everyone saw the warm blood oozing from the gash in his scalp, down his face, in slow rivers.

 _The sight of blood does something to a group of people_ , Harry noted, still standing, unable to move.

The wizards fell over the Security guards, punching, kicking, stomping over the fallen.

As the chaos went on, Harry blinked away from the shock, suddenly.

_You are a fucking Auror, god dammit! Pull yourself together!!_

He turned around and grabbed Darry by the neck, pulling him close.

"Gaves' girl is trapped in the mob! GET HER!" he shouted in the man's ear.

Darry looked wildly down the steps at the  crowd that was inching closer to the building. When he located her, he dashed forward, not caring for the violent wizards and witches around him.

Templeton gave an exasperated cry, and pushed Harry away, back to the building, intent on keeping his former boss safe.

* * *

 

Tina was trapped.

The anger that had pushed her to be a part of the complaining mass of wizards turned cold and heavy in her gut, as she saw a man get shoved by the officers, and return to the siege of the building, blood pouring obscenely over his head and chest.

She tried to leave, and pushed her way out of the mob, but a sudden movement, like a wave, pushed everyone forward, and her with them. The people started to charge ahead, bumping against each othed hard, crushing the officers trying to keep them in line.

Porpentina felt anxiety rise as her arms were pressed to her body. She could not move.

 _I'm so stupid_ , _so very stupid! Now what??_

She looked around, waiting for an opening between the bodies to form somehow.

A cry was heard.

"I can't breathe! Let me out please!!" She heard many times.

She also heard the unmistakable sound of fighting, and knew her fellow Trainees and others must have poured their anger against the Security officers in a crazed attack.

An elbow struck her hard on the stomach, and she would have doubled over if she hadn't been pressed on all directions by unknown bodies.

She cried out, tears prickling in her eyes, as her panic rose.

_I'm gonna die here, they will crush me and smother me._

Tina could not think.

A hand gripped the back of her neck and pushed her savagely back, and she hit yet another body. Arms wrapped around her, and she was dragged away slowly from the center of the crowd.

When she regained her senses, she looked up to see a tall man, with white hair almost entirely concealed by his coat's hood, making his way though the mess.

Tina could have cried from relief.

"Darry!" She grabbed the arm at her torso, squeezing it gratefully.

"Hey there, love-" Thaddeus huffed out, the effort put at shoving people away taking all the playfulness of his tone" don't think I got stuck in here to help _you,_ but my-idiot of a friend would-kill me if-he found out I let you die...even if it's your fault for being so stu-STUPID" Darry shouted as a swift punch was delivered to his jaw.

"You're an Auror, you piece of shit!" A man grunted, spitting at Darry, before turning away and disappearing in the crowd.

Thaddeus kept on, spitting blood, anger simmering near the surface of his eyes.

"I hate fucking cowards"

"He is a civilian," Tina provided" it would not be a fair fight"

"Right now, I don't care much about civilians," he huffed out" don't get me wrong...I _hate_ the security guys, they have wanted to-over throw us- for years, and now they are doing just that!" Tina tried to help a woman laying on the floor crying, but Darry shook his head and continued ahead" don't, I'm sorry-as much as I hate them, I still feel bad watching them be crushed on the floor-with twenty feet stomping over them."

When they finally got away, Tina turned back and saw a group of newly arrived guards preparing to enter the mayhem.

She could not comprehend just what had gotten into that people, the violence unleashed after months of pent up tension finally giving way to an explosion in their society. The war across the sea, the murders of the no-maj, the resignation of the Director of Magical Security...

"This is far from over, Tina, and it will only get worse," Thaddeus turned her to him, and led her to an alley" wizards have been under wraps for thousands of years, unable to congregate and complain because of the Law...not many wizards together in the open, you know the drift-it feeds a need to break out of those wraps, even if only by throwing punches like a no-maj to the government's officials!"

Tina felt his hand on her tighten as he Side Apparated them.

The twisted feeling in her stomach, and the sight of people being sufflcated and crying desperately, made her want to vomit and cry all at the same time.

She wanted-she _needed_ Percival.

-

But Percival had not appeared.

The disturbance at the entrance of the Congress went on for another two hours before Security seized control over the street. It had been a shock to the wizarding society, which was normally extremely against violence towards anything, specially the government.

There had been two civilian deaths, a suffocated man and another crushed by the mob until he died. Several people were missing. The officers had injured many others, who complained to the press, raising scandal, dirtying the immaculate name of the Security Department. There was also a dead officer, and ten gravely injured, though the information was closely kept.

No one dared blame the Aurors. No one mentioned a set up.

The Congress took back all allegations against the Auror Department, and asked Harold Bonneville to resume his post. At the very last days of December, everything at the Academy seemed back to normal. Tina had taken all her exams and was ready to say goodbye to her Second Year.

Kevin and her other mates went out to celebrate, they drank in a pub and danced without a care in the world. They were still kids, Tina was nineteen, the furute was not that gloom...the mark in her belly had not connected her to her lover for some time. She suspected Percival was safe now, and felt herself relax slowly at the thought, day by day.

Kevin walked her back to her apartment, both of them moving with slow, unsure steps. He was very drunk, but she found it funny, and his sloppy, tired smile, cute. They joked about, laughing loudly, their voices echoing in the empty streets.

Kevin lit a cigarette, rubbing a hand through his mop of hair to shake off the droplets of water.

The rain was soft and cool, kissing Tina's cheeks.

She was happy.

Shs guessed life would be simpler if she had her eyes and heart set on that boy. That sweet friend that treated her like a lady and flustered outside the Academy, but cursed and snorted at her jokingly when they fought at the training rooms.

That was what any normal young woman would want.

Queenie, for example, loved Kevin, and tried to persuade Tina to forget the 'old man', and begin a healty relationship.

Tina had thought there might have been something wrong with her. Maybe that's why she loved a jaded, older man, but she could not find it in herself to believe that.

As much as Tina's life would be easier if she stood, right now, and kissed Kevin, she would never do that.

Percival was branded inside her, he had been right. He was everything she wanted, and no one could replace him.

Tina reflected she was happy right now, in a fleeting way, escaping life's problems with her friend...but her real happiness was somewhere else, thinking about her, she hoped.

And Tina felt the cool rain freeze her cheeks and seep inside her coat, and she wasn't happy anymore.

* * *

 

When they reached the steps of her apartment, they both stood. Tina registered an alert, somewhere at the back of her mind, but brushed it aside carelessly.

Kevin turned towards her, and grinned stupidly at her.

"Your face is blushed," he stated" I like it when you blush-I meantosay- it's prettier than makeup- you know what makeup I'm talking 'bout, somw girls paint their faces like they were canvasses!" They both laughed.

"I think it's time you go back home, young man, you are totally pissed" Tina smiled, and raised her head to place a peck to his cheeks.  
  
Kevin looked down, suddenly incredibly focused on the stone steps. His cheeks were incandescent red.

"Yeah-yeah, I know" he opened his mouth again"...you know, I-I like you Goldstein."

"Me too, you're my best pal" Tina said, now a little anxious.

"Yes, yes, but what I mean is- you are very special you know?" He raised his eyes at he" Tina-"

"Tina"

A husky voice, deep and unlike the boyish drunk drawl of her friend, broke their conversation.

They both turned around to see a man, clad in back, with a broad back, resting his shoulder casually against the wall of the building.

Tina knew the husky voice, the black wet locks of hair that obscured the face. The lips pursed in an unmistakable sign of impatience. It was _him,_ and by god she had missed him.

It took everything she had not to jump towards him. She stood still, forgetting she had company.

"...erm-Mr. Graves, is it you, Sir?" Kevin asked, his slurred voice trying to sober up instantly as he fumbled for his wand.

Percival stood and came closer, the moonlight falling over his sharp features. Tina had never seen him look so tired. She inwardly gasped at the slash that teared through his left cheek, cutting the corner of his upper lip. He looked battered, but the wound was old already, so he had fighted, but still hadn't recovered.

"I was waiting for you," Percival said, his voice lacking emotion, eyes fixed on her, ignoring her friend" your sister told me you had gone to celebrate and would come back a little later...I waited here because your landlady apparently does not allow men in the building."

"Yes, that's true, we...we decided to go dancing after we left the pub. I'm sorry I took so long..." She winced, it was clear he had been waiting for her for something, and she was dancing and drinking away with her mates.

"Tina, I will leave you now," Kevin said, getting the drift, even pissed" see you next year-or before- if you want." He waved at her awkwardly and took off.

Percival watched him leave from the corner of his eye.

"I needed to see you." He stepped closer, not sure about touching her yet. He raised his hands slightly, as if wanting to place them on her waist.

"I needed you too" she whispered, the cold finally making her tremble, along with the anticipation.

"Do you think your sister would get mad at you if we go up there?" He spied her doubtful look and amended quickly" You are freezing, I promise I will behave."

"Okay, come" Tina climbed the last steps and opened the door, which creaked loudly. Percival followed behind silent as a panther, but demure, checking his every step.

Tina though he may feel guilty for leaving her after they first had sex, or maybe because he spend a year away without a single message, or both. She took a shaky breath. She would be a hypocrite if she said she was not mad at him, but she did understand, and knew beforehand what she had signed into the day she gave her heart to him.

So he really had nothing to worry about.

Tina opened the door to her apartment and let him in, feeling like the girls who sneaked boys into their rooms at Ilvermorny. She hoped her sister was fast asleep in their bedroom.

The place was in darkness, and she much preferred it that way, so Percival would not see the scattered lady underlings and other embarrasing items her sister never bothered to store away from sight.

Graves stood in the middle of the room, terribly out of place and uncomfortable, and she could have laughed if the situation had been different.

"Please, sit," she gestured towards the couch behind him. He complied silently.

They remained silent for a few minutes, Tina sitting at the table, and him at the couch. He started to drum his fingers, another nervous gesture. His eyes slid away from her as he opened his mouth.

"I was surprised to find you have a rebellious streak hidden inside you," he tried to smile, but his face turned into a grimace" I-I didn't know, when it happened, I was told you were safe, so I knew the anxiety coming from the rune must not mean something serious-"

"How did you know?"

He looked up, surprised at her even tone.

"Know what? That you were safe?" She nodded" I'm having you watched, it's not invasive I promise-" he said, as he watched her face turn into disbelief" it was my only demand when I went back into my mission. I had to know someone was watching over you."

"But who?"

"Darry, not all the time, but he knew wers you were supposed to be at all times. That's why they were all surprised when you turned up _in the middle of the mob_ , when you had to be at the Academy taking an exam."

There was a berating tone to his voice. She gritted out.

"I was not going to miss how the Congress stepped over us and tool apart the Department and the Academy!" She hissed.

"I know, I know, I would have wanted to be there too. Everything that happened that day was terrible in many levels, but it's also good for us, because it showed the people Security is not strong enough to suppress these situations without disbanding and resorting to violence too."

"People _died,_ Percival, suffocated, crushed. They can't even find like 20 people." She reminded him. He backtracked, holding his hands up.

" _I know, and I'm sorry_. But this is a lot more complicated than that, and many more people could die if this political battle inside the government goes on."

Now Tina stopped short, looking at him keenly... Was he really talking about what he had gotten into? He read her glance and sighed.

"I came here Tina, because I'm leaving for the war."

 


	7. Farewell, my Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Percival says goodbye, and finally opens up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait! My PC's got a virus and the technician had it for like two weeks. The writer's block did not help much either...
> 
> Anyway, here it is finally. We are nearing the end of the first part, where they have a relationship. I'm eager and afraid of portraying older Tina and Percival.
> 
> Please leave a comment!

 

"I'm leaving for the war."

Just after processing that sentence, which took a lot of effort inside her head, Tina felt herself shake.

A myriad of emotions crossed her eyes as she tried to make out a feeling, an idea, something.

Shock, bewilderment, fear, hurt, regret and pain. Those were the ones Percival could make out, but the worst part was when her eyes hardened, the gaze he could read like an open book slammed shut, leaving a cold, blank stare instead.

It was so very wrong, he thought, because those weren't her eyes. That was not her.

Porpentina Goldstein did not stay cold and unmoving. She was warm, she was motion, constant movement, a stark contrast to his coiled, controlled energy.

She should be crying, raging, hitting him or hexing his ass off. She should be freeing that wild fighter he loved to see in action, even if it was against him.

But she remained silent, and he thought that maybe this was the last time he left her, hurt her, abandoned her with no explanation.

It was marvelous, how rushed things had been between them. There were no labels, no real claims upon the other, they were technically free. He wasn't even her mentor anymore. And yet, in such a short amount of time, and more so with someone as closed up as him, they had fallen into this nameless thing that meant so much more than any other relationship in his life...

It was her, he decided.

He also thought he was shocked too, his brain scattered in these fleeting thoughts, and needed to concentrate on the present. His mind was spinning, but he needed to make the most of their time.

"Why?" She said in a whisper so devoid of emotion he cringed" I want to know everything, I have never asked...but if you leave for Europe, things are different. I want to know why you are leaving, when you could stay here, safe with me. I need to know because I have followed you blindly these years, out of love, and if this is the last time we see each other, I must know it was not in vain. I never asked for a proof of your feelings, I was content with what I was given. Percival," Tina looked up to him, a sparkle of strongly repressed feeling flashing in her eyes, making his gut twist in self loathing" I know what I can expect of you."

"What will you do when I leave?" Percival said, feeling fear and insecurity crept from his chest to his throat, straining his voice.

"It depends on what you choose to tell me right now. No more games." He did not recognize her, but he struggled to understand her. She was trying to protect herself. _It must be hard_ , he tried to console himself, _it must be hard because she worries about me. She does._

"But will you wait for me?" His hands twitched, the control over his nerves escaping. His disheveled appearance, his marred face, the hopeless need for forgiveness, they spoke volumes of his burden.

_She does care. She loves me._

"Speak, Percival" Tina replied, not missing a beat.

And Percival Graves closed his eyes tightly, choking back a cry, as he gritted out "how much?"

"As much as you can" She would be damned if she let herself wait for him, knowing that he may not return, when he didn't trust her with what was hidden in his heart. She could not think about the consequences, the probability of his death. This Tina was a woman, no longer a girl, and even though she had always understood his silence, his struggle against affection, she needed the certainty that this man would bare himself for her as she had for him.

Tina swallowed.

"I love you-" her voice broke, shy, the first tears falling softly over her cheeks" I have always respected and trusted you...but I need to know you feel the same"

Tina felt herself slowly crumble, trying to convince her heart that it was not selfish, it was human, and entirely right for her to want a man to trust her with his feelings. She did not want to harm him, and yet here she was, asking him to drop his walls before it was too late. Intimacy, for once, really being open to each other. Transparent.

"Okay then, I never wanted to involve you in this. You have to promise me you will never speak about this to anyone, you know who you can trust. If something goes wrong, you will wait for any of us to come to you, if no one does, then I want you to promise me you will take your memories of this night, of all we shared outside of the Academy, and modify them. Can you promise, Tina?" His voice was tired and unsure, he was doing this against his judgement.

Porpentina blinked her tears away, and nodded firmly, prepared.

"More than four years ago, Harry saw a shift in the political views regarding the country's safety. The Congress started to value the idea of reducing the costs reserved for this, remember this was a safer time, and they believed having two separate entities in charge of safekeeping us all was unnecessary. So they began to work on ways to merge the Departments together. At first, although alarmed, Harry stood aside. The Congress meant to place security right under us, but keep us in charge. This changed" Percival explained bitterly, but with that distinct air he used to debrief his subordinates. He slowly fell into an objective, formal speech" you don't know the people in charge of the Department of Security, they are a lot less public figures than our Director is. They are a highly functioning part of the Goverment, their numbers are excellent, it looks, in paper, as if they are better than us. They believe that too sadly. Harry found they had proposed to work the government directly if it meant they got ascended to be the main force."

"-so that's what's been happening? They incriminated our Department to have the excuse to shut it down?" Tina asked, believing it made sense, as she remembered the accidents, the mob, the chaos.

Percival laughed darkly.

"That is what everyone at the Academy thinks .." He sat straight, pressing his fingers to his tired eyes" no. Luckily, our government has not reached such a level of corruption. The framings our Aurors suffered helped them try to bring down Harry. That was their goal. Their plan was to undermine his power, and strip him of his title. After that, it would be easier to replace him with one of them, and begin a slow transition into a new security sistem, where both Departments were united."

"That's what you were investigating for four years?" She asked, surprised" could you not do anything? Find proof of their plans, or something?"

"I was working on getting Harry the information. It was not easy. And besides, I had to get into the Security Department and their Training academy constantly. I rooted out a part of the officers who were trying to buy the Congress. Of course all this was done illegally. My suspects and I were both working under the table, and to catch them, I joined them. Four years Tina. It takes a long time to get involved into the darker side of politics, and take down one, and then another, without making all of them scuttle."

"The rumor, about you making a mistake...was it true?"

"Yes...it was bound to happen. Someone at the Department ratted me out. In a matter of hours everyone knew I had not been working correctly. We had never worried about the Congress or Security finding out I had been on a single misson for four years. All the information was safe inside our offices, no one from the outside could acces them. Only everyone thought I had skipped my mentoring duty. We made them think I had been purposefully postponing it because I thought myself above that."

"And you fought with the Director to support the rumor?" Tina reflected back to her first day at the Academy, smiling sightly.

"I did not have to fake much," Percival copied her small smile" I did hate to do it, and I have done it many times since I became a Senior, so it was easy to buy. But the Congress knew better. What had I been doing for those four years? They got suspicious, they concluded Harry was using me, it all came down catastrophically. Even after staying here for a year, dutifully training you, head bent and forcing a good behavior, they decided to act."

"That's when the framings happened? They turned the accidents against the Aurors, and attacked the Director's public image...but it did not work, he resigned, but was reinstated because of the mob and the deaths." Tina finished.

Percival looked at her thoughtfully, with a tender expression that made her stomach churn.

"But you said they were not behind the framings" she reminded him, puzzled"If it weren't them, who? Security?"

"No, it wasn't them either, I made sure they were clean. Their strategy, albeit illegal, was not directed in such a violent direction: to beat up no-majs, kill two Aurors and a political guest of the United States was too far. They merely took advantage of it, at the hearing against Harry, they used me and my suspicious actions to prove their claim." Percival then retreated against the sofa, grimacing at the tension in his back and shoulders, suddenly feeling older" The clue is across the sea. We believe we are being drawn to join the war. If the accidents had not been attributed to Aurors, the logical reason would be that the international threat is finally knocking on our doors. Many British wizards have joined the conflict against the Ministry's orders. I expect there will be even more as this escalates."

He stood with care, his muscles complaining. The slight pain got worse, and his face must have betrayed him, he thought, as she instantly rose and approached with care, resting her hands in his broad chest lightly.

"What is it? And tell me what happened to your face, you look like you were beaten up hard" her concert slipped through her hardened front. Tina was unable to hold a grudge over anyone, certainly not a wounded man, he thought amused.

"It's nothing. Just a disagreement with the boys" he pursed his lips again, and she knew he would not talk about it.

"With Darry and Templeton?" She prodded, knowing the conversation was a dead end already.

"Yes-"he looked away and then grinned" nothing you need to worry about. Can I borrow a muscle relaxing potion? It has been days, but Jaron is a tough guy to beat."

She threw him a nasty frown, _I know what you're doing, you jerk,_ before leaving for the bathroom's cupboard.

Tina returned in a minute, with a small vial and a balm. She stopped a second at the door, watching his profile outlined by the trembling light coming from the window. His hunched back was facing her, and his head was down. His hand was gripping something tightly at his side, and his other hand was pressed against the wall, holding his body. Percival tucked his fisted hand in his pocket, and it came out again empty. Turning, he acknowledged her presence.

"So...this is it, Tina. This is why I'm leaving you" His piercing black eyes burned" I have to follow the trail to stop the framings, and rescue what little trust people have on us. If we fail- you can imagine what will happen. The trail leads me to Europe, to the war. By tomorrow, my partners and I will be called deserters, because we will leave duty to fight, as a cover to continue my misson. If you are approached by authorities, make yourself unimportant. Make them believe I don't trust you enough to share my secrets with you. I know you can do that."

"So you won't- you won't be in the real battle?" She asked hopefully, stupidly, as her hands tightened around the medicine. Graves approached her lazily, his face lit up with a boyish grin that took her breath away.

"...so you _will_ miss me" he purred low, his eyes sparkling in delight.

"I-I don't want you to go, David is a good guy but a pretty basic mentor!" She squeaked out, headstrong. Percival frowned and tutted reprovingly at her, raising a calloused, warm hand to her cheek,  brushing her skin with his fingertips. The absence of his touch had made her forget the electric thrill of his caresses. Her eyes fluttered shut.

"Don't lie to yourself, my dear," he whispered jokingly, the smirk returning to his lips" that's unbecoming in an Auror."

He rested his forehead against hers, his slightly wet hair tickling her temples. His lips went to brush the corner of her mouth, teasingly.

"Just say it" the gloating, full of himself man that she knew had risen from the angst and tiredness, and she almost forgot their entire conversation, the fear growing in her belly made her bolder.

"No way, you manipulating bastard," she gritted out, berating herself for her weakness" you don't deserve it." she heard him chuckle.

"Manipulating?...and tell me, since when do you care?" His hands landed carefully on her neck, and he cupped it softly, tilting her head up, thumb playing with her lower lip.

Tina tried to bite him.

Percival barked out a laugh, that turned into a cough and a curse as she stepped on his foot hard.

" _My sister!!_ " She hissed out, listening anxiously for any noise coming from the bedroom. His eyes widened slightly, and he muttered an apology.

Tina, regaining some sense of decency, stuck the potion into his chest and walked to the sofa. Percival opened the vial and swallowed quickly, stealing glances at her all the time.

"Take your shirt off, I'm going to ease the tension out of you" Tina said, rolling her sleeves and opening the balm. Percival's wicked eyes shone.

"As you command." He responded huskily, struggling not to crackle in laughs as comprehension dawned on her and her cheeks heated up" You are adorable."

"Oh shut up," she said, flustered" you wish, it is only a massage, and the shirt goes on again."

Percival threw a sad, forlorn look at her, before taking off his shirt, and laying on the sofa.

"You're so mean," He complained" I don't remember you being like that when you came to my home...God knows the library won't be the same anymore. You should visit again, there are many more rooms in the Manor-and more desks too."

Tina, bewildered and deeply ashamed, turned to the task at hand. Percival lay on the sofa, his back facing her. The muscles were defined, but so were the bruises that marred his skin. The intricately woven traces of black ink called Tina, making her want to run her fingers over them, following each line.

"...Tina?" She snapped into action, putting the balm over the bruises and massaging softly. In no time he was groaning quietly, his body relaxing.

Tina thought it must have been at least five in the morning. Soon, the sun would start it's rise and Percival would leave. He hadn't answered her question, so she thought he would actually be in a lot of danger. As she worked lovingly on his back, trying to relieve him from his pain. The anxiety she had felt earlier rose slowly, building up until she had to bit the inside of her cheeks hard to suppress her sobs. The pain made her focus, and swallow down the lump in her throat.

Life was unfair. There was no other answer. When she had finally found love, had a taste of it, it slipped though her fingers each time, leaving her empty again and again.

But that wasn't why she cried. She had understood early that there are some kinds of love where people are meant to be together always, live and die and share everything as her parents did. And there were others, like theirs, who only existed in fleeting, stolen moments, in the present and never towards a common future. Her love for Percival was a strong storm, that rattled her inside, consumed everything, and then left her in the quiet of her solitude, among the wreckage of her emotions.

This was meant to be.

But her tears spoke of the fear of losing him. Because she had lost so much already, and could not fathom to live on knowing he could cease to exist in a moment, away from her, without her even knowing or being able to help. What would happen if that dark man was gone? What would she do?

She suddenly realized there were only two people who meant everything in life for her, and if one of them left, half of her life would cease to have meaning...if she lost both, she would die, because there would be no reason for her to keep going.

But still, she would not ask him to stay.

And so she cherished every second they shared that night. And she dipped down and kissed the back of his neck.

"Come back to me" she pleaded, brokenly, and he opened his eyes. She rose a little to allow him to turn around, and sat over his legs. Percival sat, his arms enveloping her, and Tina felt so safe and happy, she didn't understand why things could not be this way forever.

His head rested over hers, and he kissed her hair, his eyes lost in the future.

She did not say anything else. He was willingly walking to his grave, as far as he knew. Tina could not fathom how it felt, what he thought, if he was afraid, unsure, regretful. Her hear humbled as she realised her anger had no place in all this, she would not hold anything against a man who would sacrifice his life for the greater good. For all his faults, he was a brave man, and a great one, no matter how he refused to be called one.

By tomorrow everyone would hate him, thinking he was betraying them, when he was actually fighting for them.

Graves sighed deeply and went to look at her, his sad eyes, terribly tired and darkened, and shining with emotion, met hers.

"I will" he promised.

And he kissed her slowly, as he tried to commit to memory the feeling of her lips and her skin, her brown eyes and the quick beating of her heart. But the urgency of their last minutes together won over, his eyes shut hard, his hands cradling her face, as his mouth opened to taste hers.

They both turned around and Tina fell on the couch, wrapping Percival in het embrace, arms wound around his neck.

As the first timid rays of sunlight rose over the horizon, growing and creeping into the room in brilliant hues of pink and orange, two lovers started to undress, surrendered to each other.

Percival lay kisses over her slender neck, breathlessly drinking in the clear image of the woman straddling him, burning eyes locked on him, as her hips moved in a slow, agonising rhythm that turned him wild. She mounted him with confidence, the unsure and timid girl long forgotten as she enjoyed being with him, like this, yet again.

Tina gasped as her impatient lover changed their positions, towering over her. The tip of his fingers drew lazy circles over the skin of her stomach, teasingly lowering, and going back up. He watched her the entire time as he entered her, he would never close his eyes in the rest of their time together.

Percival started to move inside her, mimicking her slow pace, and groaned at the exhilarating feeling of making love to that woman. Tina gasped as the pressure started to build up, leaving her breathless. His slow thrusts hit her just right, and soon they were not enough.

Tina's hips rose, meeting his movements, wanting him deeper, needing him closer. He let himself fall over her body, his chest pressing against hers, her strong legs keeping him firmly there. Eagerly, she embraced him again, sighing from the pleasure he gave her. Percival chuckled, the heavy weight over his heart lifting, the tiredness leaving him. He felt younger, full of energy, as he complied and pounded harder and faster into her. Her moans thrilled him, and he focused on every little sound that escaped her, every expression her blushing face made.

He kept a faster rhythm that led them to a sweet climax. Percival buried his head in her shoulder to stop himself from groaning too loud, as he came inside her, completely spent. They stayed tangled.

Percival whished he could stay like that, inside her, with her forever. He closed his eyes, and after a while they both fell in a deep, much needed sleep. 

* * *

  
Queenie woke up and stretched, smiling. As she opened her eyes, her gaze went to find her sister, but the empty, untouched bed left her wondering. Had she slept in the Academy?

The blond rose, making the bed with a swirl of her wand, as she scouted the apartment for the thoughts of her sister. Finding none, and utterly puzzled, an unsuspecting Queenie opened the sliding doors to the living room, her eyes falling on the sleeping forms on the couch.

A _very_ naked Percival Graves lay atop her sister, who was naked as well.

Bewildered and ashamed, Queenie shut the doors again soundly, the image of Graves' rounded bum burned in her mind.

"Oh my-oh my Tina..." Queenie had had her doubts about her sister's relationship with her brooding mentor. But this...she never through it had gone that far. Tina was, after all, a very innocent and guarded woman. This was a side of her that she had never seen.

When Graves had asked to see his sister the night before, she had tried to spy his thoughts about Tina. But the cold and impenetrable gaze of the man shut her down swiftly. Queenie's head had hurt a lot after that.

But she said nothing, after all, she was the one snooping where she wasn't wanted.

* * *

  
On the other side of the doors, both Tina and Percival woke at the noise, and looked at each other guiltily. They stood with difficulty, their limbs had entagled over the night, and they were a bit sore, as the sofa was not the most comfortable to sleep on.

They changed quickly, and Percival cursed at being caught red handed by her lover's sister...great start to begin to know her family.

He went to his jacket, took a folded letter from it's pocket, and left it over the table. Putting on his coat, he turned to Tina, who was slipping into her underwear.

"I have to leave" he said, his voice raw from sleep.

Tina stopped instantly, looking up at him, not knowing what to do, or say.

"This-"he said, looking down hard" this is for you" he pointed at the letter.

"Percival-" she started, but he beat her, walking fast and embracing her tightly, running his hands over her naked back.

"This is no goodby" he stated, his voice dead, eyes slightly watered and red. His grip was too hard, and it hurt, but Tina only gripped tighter as a response.

At last, Percival grabbed her face and kissed her intensely one, two, three times, before stepping away. He ran his hands over his face, jaw clenched, eyes closed, before he had the strength to turn around and slam the door of the apartment behind his back, not looking back.

 _Keep walking_.  
-

_My Dear,_

_What if I have only one night, to tell you everything I want to, what if it's the last night I have?_

_How can I say goodbye, and leave you without knowing what will happen._

_Because what will happen, Tina?_

_What happens when you live your life without a care in the world, and one day you find someone...different- and suddenly everything changes, and you are not just you anymore. What if you have to leave them knowing you wasted your time to be with them?_

_Because that's what I feel now. And I fucking hate it._

_Just now I realise I lost these two years with you in my life and I-I regret them so much._

_Will there be more? Please, let it be more. You deserve it. I know I don't but you deserve everything._

_But the things is, Tina...you were always there! You were always there waiting for me, happy, young, warm, strong..._

_And I thought it would be like that forever, and one day-one day you would be a proper woman and I would be able to court you, in the open, in front of everyone. Just three, two, one year, and you would be free for me. And I would be good to you, you know that-I would be the man I was supposed to become before this wretched job changed me._

_I hope, by the gods, that when you are older things change, so you won't be forced into this._

_Believe me when I say that is my most precious wish. And I will make it happen._

_So tonight...tonight I came here to say goodbye and to tell you all._

_And I guess it is better to start from the begging._

_I was born the 12 of August of 1881. Just a week before you.  I know you already know a bit about my name, surely what everyone knows. But I will not talk about the Graves family. I will talk about my parents._

_They were Aurors, like yours. They were good. They held principles I broke almost as soon as I became an Auror._

_I'm glad they cannot see what I have done._

_They were also good parents, but you can imagine they were not around for long. Just what I have done to you, they did to me...I never thought about it that way before. As a child I didn't mind, I was too proud for them. I'm sorry._

_My mother, Martha, was a loving, beautiful woman, she was soft but strong, and my father, Erik, was my greatest hero. They died when I was 10. I did not understand, we had been talking about my first year at Ilvermorny the night before._

_It is one of the closed cases the Department never solved. I tried, but a decade had passed, all trails were dead ends. I count that as my biggest failure._

_Mother was an avid reader. She loved the classics, and read them to me sometimes. It didn't matter if I could not grasp their meaning...her voice alone made the stories beautiful. She also wrote poems, but I lock them away in her study, because I find them so hard to read._

_She always asked me to write her letters. She took them when she went away and read them when she had the time. They are still piled in her study._

_I can't say these things out loud, but I thank her for making me write, because it will help me to talk to you, Tina._

_When things get too hard, I sit down and write a letter for her, and it helps me to calm down. I wrote to her about you._

_Father was stern, as you could have guessed. A big family name to live up to, a dangerous job and a family to take care of did that to you, I suppose. I hope I don't go down the same road though, although I fear I'm halfway there._

_He loved my mother dearly and took care of her. Even when he wasn't the most expressive man, he was the most honest and good one. That's what matters, Tina._

_I know she knew how much she meant for him, as I hope you do too, with me._

_He had this strange, secret fascination with No-majs. He liked to collect their books, and listened to their music, he even got me some no-maj toys when I was a toddler. He build a stable at the Manor grounds, because he wanted to ride horses like them. It has always been amusing to compare the uptight wizard, who used magic for the smallest chore, to the fanatic of non magical sports._

_He was a contradiction in many senses. But that is the one that inspired my affection. He did after all have one weakness, and in those times a most embarrassing one. And to a boy often regarded sternly, knowing that secret made him look less intimidating._

_My first year at school was depressing, regretfully. My parents had died, and I was the orphan heir of an important family, everybody knew. I felt the pressure of failure over my shoulders, and struggled to achieve a career worthy of my family name._

_Not everything was that bad, though. I had friends. Away from home, from the reproving eyes of my decrepit aunts and uncles, in Ilvermorny, I was a kid just like any other. Templeton, he was the first, he was somber and quiet even back then, so we understood each other and got along well. Darry was a few years younger. Between you and me, he had a fling with a forty-something year old Potions teacher on his last year. That was the way he got the grades to start Auror Training._

_Anyhow, it may surprise you to know I was not some popular Seeker in the Wampus' Quidditch Team, but a complete and certified bookworm. I still had pretty ladies after me, mind you. There was this dueling club too...it was my favorite place in the world. It turned out I was very good -I'm trying to be humble here- but it was also the only class I got to spend with my two friends. I was not ashamed to say they were the best thing that had happened to me in a long time. But don't tell them, please._

_As I'm writing, I realise how much I changed over the years. I wish you had met me before, perhaps I would have taken a better path...I followed the wrong people, but my intentions were good._

_You are so young Tina, and I so selfish. I don't want to let you go even when I know it is the right choice. But you want me too. As long as you want me, and even if you don't anymore, I will always be here for you._

_But before you make that decision, and whether or not I come back, you need to know what I am._

_I graduated and got straight into the Auror Training Academy; I went to live there, to the dismay of my conservative relatives. I was full of expectations, and felt the bitter need to prove myself to my parents, and find closure in their deaths. I was young, promising, and well over the standards. The Graves name carried a heavy weight inside those walls, too._

_Harry took me in, he became my mentor. He had been my parents' boss, he felt responsible for me in a way, and he ended up filling a place in my life I didn't realize was empty, because after losing my father, I looked up to no one else._

_I know you think I was hard on you. I don't use the Academy's methods and have done questionable things. Harry was something else entirely, trust me. He took all risks and used all techniques to mold me into his idea of the perfect Auror. But not only me, of course._

_The perfect Auror is not really a good guy, Tina. He does what he needs to do to protect the good citizens. The end justifies the means._

_Everything my parents taught me broke and fell into pieces in front of my eyes, and I felt empty. It's dangerous to feel that way. But I had no morals, because I thought all I knew was a lie._

_Yes, I came out from the Academy as the most skilled, and rose quickly in the Department. I achieved everything I intended. I proved my worth. But I lost myself in the process._

_What follows, Tina, is years of missions, of violence, mistrust, death..._

_You have to understand that only my deep respect for you, your decisions and abilities, have driven me to train you and let you follow to your dream. If it were my choice, I would keep you far away from my world, because it is not what you think._

_Let's be truthful my dear. I promised I would tell you what I am..._

_I killed men and women, doing my job. I made mistakes, I never killed in cold blood, but I took the life of several people, innocent and guilty. I am a killer._

_I tortured too, in the name of the Government. It was not by choice, the Department works that way, and will continue to do so unless someone better than Harry takes his place. I burned, smothered, drowned, hexed people into telling me things. But only as a last resort, after veritaserum and legilimency failed._

_I vomit my guts out every time I leave the basements where we take the accused, even after all these years. I hate myself._

_I have poisoned, lied, kidnapped, used my bare hands to beat men into oblivion. I'm a violent man._

_I have used curses that would make you terrified of me. But I would never harm you. Because I love you._

_I am a vulnerable man. You are my weakness._

_I love you, Tina. This is the man that wants you with all he's got._

_I am yours._

_And I promise, when I come back, I will put everything I've got into rightening myself. I'm going to change things for you, my love, I promise that after you graduate and become an Auror, you won't have to do anything I did._

_Percival._

* * *

 

Tina's hands shook by the end of the letter, the thick parchment littered with her tears. She had known who he was, he had never hidden his actions.

He had been like her, alone, trying to reach a sole purpose in life: to become an Auror in the memory of his parents. He had probably had all the dreams she had beared for years, and then the Director took him and tore his ideals from him, leaving him empty to fill with his darker motives. He had written it clearly, he had seen Harry as the man who took his father's place as a mentor. Harry had taken advantage of that, and of many others, Tina suspected.

She also thought Percival did not resent the man, so there must be a part of him that agreed with some of the Director's ideas.

But torture?

Tina was not stupid. In a duel, a raid or by accident, Aurors could easily end up killing people. Innocent or guilty. And she believed him when he said he had never killed purposefully.

Torture...that was different. And she could not join in her head the picture of the man who made love to her, with the bloodied, violent man who she saw once in the Academy. The one who _"hurt a lot of bad people, in many places"._

She had known that too. He had said so.

And Tina fell to the ground hard, hitting her knees against the cold wooden floor, clutching her head in desperation.

She loved him. She loved a torturer, a murderer. She had known that and she had slept with him! She had let him beat her up and then kiss her! She was bound with magic to him for the rest of her life!

Tin felt like a stranger. She did not recognize herself because she would never love a man like that.

And still...

Even when Tina felt that the blood in Percival's hands was smeared all over her body, where he had touched her, even when she felt she had betrayed herself, she couldn't find it in her to hate him, or love him any less.

The war in her mind, that filled her chest with an anguish she had never experienced, made her scream out in pain.

She thought she would never be able to speak again.


	8. Stealing Memories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is a mysterious, chilling blond man behind the framings in America. 
> 
> The healthy man does not torture, so the saying goes...but Percival was never healthy to begin with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay! please read and review!

The gut clenching screams echoed in the damp, bare rooms . They never stopped. Day and night the prisoners shouted, the sound only swallowed by the ear splitting noise of a distant explosion. The no-maj bombs were to be feared, the wizards had learned early in the war, the chemical weapons even more, but the wizards above the law, in a frenzy of blood and dark magic, with no boundaries...well, there was a reason why wizards were forbidden from interfering in the war.

Yet another scream ringing in his ears. Percival's head snapped, bloodshot eyes shooting towards the door. They were underground, protected by strong magical wards and even, as he had grudgingly accepted, no-maj fire weapons. A network of cells from which they operated, trying to take down the threat to their country. It had been months of no sleep, and little to no food, but they had managed to find a thread that would lead them to the culprit. Hopefully.

They had scarce news from their motherland, but were glad to know the framings had stopped, and the Department was safe for now.

The entire investigation narrowed down to a single individual who they could not find. They had the puppets, but the identity of their master was lost in a deep maze of magic that warped their prisoners mind into an unbreakable safe box. Through the door stepped both Templeton and Darry, holding each a struggling captive, black bag over their heads, hands magically incapacitated, mouth gagged too. The prisoners were thrown in and the door slammed shut, wards in place.

Percival stood straight.

"Cells eight and eleven, let their new reality sink in, we have others to question."

He stated, watching with cold familiarity the scene of pleas and cries that always unfolded next. He turned his back, and waited for the sounds to die in the distance.

_"Don't think. Just act."_

When his companions returned, the three went to the nearest hallway, the opposite way, passing the poorly lit cells until they came to the last one. These were the worst rooms, where they locked the most dangerous wizards, the ones who were part of the move against the Congress. All the cells in the Basement were damp and cold, but Percival still treated the men who were suspects with a semblance of humanity and respect. Those were taken to the East side of their basement, the others, the guilty, were taken to this hallway.

In the West side, Percival stripped from his humanity. He left outside his heart, and entered with only his mind. Because if he allowed his feelings to get in a cell with him, he would not be able to keep going. Still, nothing would erase what his eyes saw, or what his own hands did inside there.

_"This is all for you Tina...I don't give a fuck about anything else anymore."_

The cold there was unbearable, and sleeping in the hard ground, wet from the leaking roof on top, had to be a nightmare. It was too dark, but they could see the lump shivering in the corner. The smell was strong enough to make them gag, but the three men stood stoically still, a mask of hardness carefully in place.

"I won't say anything, Mister Graves, for the last time-" the raw, once strong voice called out" what will you do to me today?" The man they only knew as Christoph mocked" Crucio me? That doesn't affect me anymore."

Percival held back a grimace, thinking about the last month spent in that cell. The man was hard to crack, but they knew he was the leader, the one closest to the mind behind the attacks. Darry stepped ahead, grim.

"I am done waiting for your answers, we have been kind enough thus far...it seems you need special treatment to speak out." His wand rose, and a shot of lightning fell over the slim, malnourished body, making its limbs tense and jerk, a seizure overcoming it. The first one was followed by another, and then another one. A couple of minutes passed before the white haired man dropped his wand arm again. The spasms seemed painful, but the stubborn man on the floor did not yield.

"Y-you're not g-good for this boy-" The man spat" too _soft_!”

"Well, I am not soft." Percival grit out" Leave" he snapped at his friends. They reluctantly heeded his command. Darry was an extremely good Auror, so good he was unable to break his vows. Down here, he was of no use to Percival. Wizards were much stronger than no-majs, and mimicking their electroshocks would not do. Even when they both wanted to object, Templeton would not dream of contradicting him in front of a prisoner, so he dragged the fuming Thaddeus out and away swiftly.

"You and m-me then, Graves." the man on the floor smirked.

Stern and distant, Graves did not reply, but backed off towards the hall and whispered. _"Come."_

The cold came creeping and settled on his chest, anxiety rising, but he fought to control his instinct to escape or defend himself, as the hooded figure came gliding into the hall, approaching slowly. The black strips of cloth hung from the skeletal body, the grey, boney hands clutching at the air impatiently. Percival could feel his insides squirming in protest, as the chill overtook him, making him feel weak and alone.

The black figure reached him and waited, drawn by the powerful wizard that was so much darkness and light, pain and love...so much feeling. It was the most appealing soul to steal. The visible trembling of his hands, grasping his wand tightly, turned the creature wild. But it knew not to try anything, and headed to the cell.

A grunt dripping of fear greeted the Dementor as it entered the room, the smell of pain and hurt so _delectably_ poignant in the air that the creature hissed.

"Graves-Graves no-please no..." The man's voice lost its mock, eyes glued to the dark figure blocking his only way out" Graves don't-PLEASE DON'T- **PLEASE!!** "

Percival shut the door. 

Screams echoed again, ringing through the hallways.

* * *

 

The broken man was not lucky enough to get the kiss. Percival had lured the Dementor in his basement with the promise of pain to feed. It knew it's place, and was very familiar with the practice of torture between men; the prisoner was of no use with no soul, it knew. The dark haired wizard was not the only one to use them to his advantage these days. The war was good for them: they were more, and more powerful. But even when the Dementor always chose it's freedom over enslavement to a man, this man...this man's smell tasted the best of them all. It craved his soul, and being near him was enough to sustain it. It had only to wait and bid it's time.

Just when the broken man was on the brink of losing his life, the door opened again, and the Dementor glided away from the body, still thirsty for more.

"That's all." was the mildly disgusted reply of his dark human, his deep voice slightly shaken, eyes red and shadowed in hate. The Dementor drew in a breath of that marvelous scent, a memory slipping with it...a flash of the dark man crouching on the floor, bracing himself as the screams pierced through his heart and made him double over. Nails digging on his sides as he fought the urge to tear the door open to save the broken man. The tears were fresh in his cheeks.

The Dementor was drawn to him. It left the lump with no resistance and passed him on the way to the door, taking another deep breath from his dark man's neck before leaving, utterly filled.

Percival felt almost faint as he collapsed against the prison wall, the feeling of Tina's warm lips against his playing over his mind as he tried to fight the cold and clammy feeling away. The Dementor was useful. It was needed. He would get rid of it the second he could.

It made him feel so miserable.

The prisoner gasped loudly, and Percival patched himself up and stood again. The man was terribly ill, pale and afraid. Now it would be easy.

Percival knelt beside him, and gingerly placed his fingertips on either side of his temples. The prisoner had been a strong Occlumens, good enough to battle him, through an entire month. Now, forcing upon his mind was smooth and easy, even though it surely felt painful to his victim. Graves tried to be gentle, but he was still invading, and it would be impossible not to bring the man more pain.

"Legilimens!" he said, and entered.

* * *

 

_The blond man was younger than himself, Christoph noted, still boyish, but intense and sure of himself. His lips were full, and creased in an elegant smirk, eyes dancing among the crowd, as the people inside the pub cheered loudly. His slender hand was clasped around his wand in a delicate hold. Like a coiled animal ready to strike._

_"I have never seen you here before, kid." There were always men in charge of securing the entrance to the building; after all, it was required for all attendants to be trustworthy for these meetings to keep occurring. That night it was his turn to guard the door. "_

_I have come invited. You will find that we have common beliefs, as I have been assured." The blond replied. He eyed the stranger carefully. Although he could not deny the boy's appeal, the smooth confidence that drew Christoph to want to let him in...there was something in those steel-grey eyes that made him wary. "_

_I want no trouble, understand?" He replied and, seeing as the boy merely nodded and stepped forward, he placed a hand to his chest quickly, stopping him." I mean it, there is no room in this place for idiotic quarrels, and I won't come to help you if anyone inside there wants to kick you out." The blonde’s eyes flashed, he saw. But his demeanor humbled slightly._

_"I understand. You need not worry; I came here to listen." The wand was stored away from sight, and cold fingers closed over his own, dragging his hand down his chest and away. There was nothing forward or strange about the action, but Christoph’s heart skipped a beat nonetheless at the touch...a spark in the boy's eyes made him wonder._ Did he realize…?

_He wildly wished the boy didn't, and remained away from him for the rest of the night, but still followed him around with his eyes covertly, and nervous anticipation clenched his stomach when those eyes fell upon his across the room._

* * *

_It was his turn to speak that night. They were all gathered and silent, eager for his speech. He spied the crowd, searching for the blond man of chiseled features. They had not spoken again, and the inexplicable dread of not seeing Him again clung to Christoph’s chest for days. Until the next meeting, where he found him in the crowd, and the next too. He knew he was placing his hopes and desires in the wrong place, but it was so easy to imagine them speaking again. It brought more enthusiasm to his daily and nightly activities. Day after day, he thought of ways in which they would speak again, thinking what he would tell Him._

_He started his speech. There had to be at least thirty people drinking quietly. But He wasn't there yet._

_"I want to share with you tonight a matter that has had me preoccupied for a long time: the closure of Ottmar's Alley the previous week, signed by our own Minister, to give the grounds to the new hospital the Muggle Goverment is planning to build." The men in the room scowled and raised their voice in agreement" I understand that our Minister has the power to do this without agreement from the magical community. But I wonder, is this power bestowed upon him by old, inefficient laws, doing us any good? Ottmar's Alley was one of the few locations of purely magical activity we have: to be ourselves in_ _open daylight, to work and coexist together. No one has asked the Minister what will become of the shop owners and their customers…where will they set their shops now? Where will we buy what we need for our families?” just then, a flash of blond broke through the crowd, setting at the back of the room._

_Christoph swallowed, suddenly nervous, and looked back at the crowd” This is not fair for any of us. We already have to hide from muggles, but this city is ours too! When will this stop? Are we not the same, as the Minister tires to tell us? Do we not deserve to live in this place? Because we are not living, we are merely surviving: we are constantly pushed away, all that is ours is taken by them. If we are the same, then we should be equal!” the sound of angry approval filled the pub, and Christoph saw the steel grey eyes shine at him with undivided attention ”I repeat: THIS IS OUR CITY TOO! Why are we dying, disappearing to make more room for them? I cannot understand how, for so many decades, we have feared them enough to not fight for a chance to live among them! Who fed us the lie, who convinced us that hiding was better? Why not try, if they are like us, to show them the truth of our existence…of magic.”_

_Christoph paused. “It must not be them or us, but we have to look out for ourselves too, if not, we will be cast away until we are forgotten, scattered around the world, completely alone.”_

* * *

_“What will you do about it?”_

_Christoph swirled, wand raised, at the sudden voice behind him. He would recognize it anywhere, and was torn between being exited and afraid. After all, following someone from the pub was a dangerous move, and he didn’t know this man’s motives yet._

_There he was, the handsome stranger, looking at him pointedly, with no concern for the wand pointed to his chest. The cold wind of the night blew strong on the street, messing with the perfectly styled locks of the boy’s head. His cheeks were pink still with the heath of the crowded building. Christoph found it hard to maintain the guarded, distant air he donned when around strangers, especially the ones he fancied…least they realized and used the knowledge to their advantage._

_“What do you mean, and why did you follow me?” he said tersely. The blond smirked charmingly as he approached slowly, gloved hands clearly at sight and empty._

_“I merely inquire at your plans. All you said back there…your heart is in the right place, but ideas alone won’t do anything to change our situation. All I’m asking is: what are you prepared to do to change that?”_

_Christoph was alarmed at this question. He did not consider himself a hypocrite, he would hold to his words, but act upon them? Anything he did about it would be illegal, and he was not sure of the extent of his commitment to the beliefs of his group…he was already taking a great risk by coming to the meetings and speaking against the Ministry and the muggles._ Who was this man?

_“_ _Look, I don’t know who you are, or why you believe I will trust you so readily, but I won’t keep this conversation with you-“_

_“_ _Christoph” the boy interrupted softly, stepping even more closely, until the tip of the wand pressed to his chest. Christoph’s hand visibly hesitated, but he kept his hold firm, trying to keep up his guard. “I know my word does not mean anything to you right now. But it can, if you let me. It’s your choice. I came to this place looking for men like you, with the same ideas and strength of character to make a change.”_

_“Oh, and for what do you need people like me?” said Christoph, somewhat surprised. The boy merely smiled, as he looked down at the wand. Understanding, he lowered his arm but kept the wand in his hand, clenched tightly._

_“_ _To do as you say, regain what we lost to be free. But to do so, I must be careful, many men want to follow me for the wrong reasons, and I need intelligent people, who do not seek me for power or violence and hate, but to achieve the greater good for our kind.”_

_“Who are you?” Christoph asked again, watching the stranger as he spoke. He had been wrong, he was speaking to no boy, for his age did not show the depth of strength and wisdom that those smoldering eyes held._

_“I can only tell you that I represent a movement that seeks to free all wizards, and that we are not stranded in useless debates like your friends back there, but we have moved forward to take a leap into action. And I want you to be a part of this. I believe you are like me, Christoph, and I’m never wrong. As for my name…well, trust must be gained on both sides. Getting to know yours was not a hassle, but if you follow me, you will know much more about me than my name.” the blond smirked._

_“I-I must think about this…” Christoph stuttered, blushing furiously._

_“_ _That seems sensible, but please try not to keep me waiting for too long. This is no game, this is important.” The stranger then raised both hand to clasp Christoph’s forearms, slender fingers holding him daringly. Christoph was rooted in place, unable to look around, a voice at the back of his head warning him that it could be a trap, that someone could be watching, even in the dead of night, that he had to slap those hands away now!_

_“When you are ready, go here, and you will find me” the blond breathed out, as a piece of paper was pressed to his empty hand. The tight, anxious feeling in his stomach lurched at the man’s proximity, and Christoph felt unease arise, as contrary to the velvet voice and daring hands, those eyes looked at him cold and calculating, and It was wrong-something was wrong with that man and Christoph couldn’t see what ” Take care, Christoph, until we meet again."_  

* * *

 

"What did you see?" Was the first thing Percival heard as he rejoined the group, his mouth ashen and stomach sick. He must have been quite a sight, for his partners stood straight at the sight of him, halting the questions entirely.

"You used it again." Darry stated, affronted.

"I had to, nothing we did helped. We lost too much time already." Percival moaned, as he sank on a chair, defeated and disgusted with himself.

"That...thing has a morbid thing for you, Percy. It literally followed your scent all the way to this door!" Thaddeus exclaimed, exasperated, as he pointed to the basement's entry" We have never dealt with Dementors like this, we don't make arrangements with them and let them stay here and feed from us like a fucking vampire!"

Jaron grimly nodded.

"That thing drains you, not just the prisoners. Promise me we will get rid of it now, I won't keep watching you get drained from your energy. You are at the brink of collapse."

Percival turned, looking at himself for the first time in months in the water pooling on the ground. The murky reflection showed him stark white skin, with no color, and dark, red bruises around his lifeless eyes. He had lost weight, and looked gaunt and unhealthy.

"I can assure you last month you did not look like a corpse. It's the damn Dementor thing, Perce" Darry scowled" Your lady won't want you anymore if you keep getting uglier."

Percival felt a surge of warmness at the mention of his Tina. The cold was leaving him gradually now, and things didn't seem so gloom.

"And Harry is still pissed with you, so I can make him come get you if you keep shutting out whatever part of your brain is responsible for your common sense."

Percival's laughter resembled a dry bark.

"You are both right. We will find another way...but we keep the boggart, we will need it." He began to stand.

"Stay there and rest a little, we will take care of that thing for you- it may be hard, it fancies you too much." Darry took out his wand and slapped his battered friend in the back, before sauntered whistling towards the West hall. The pleads and cries were soon heard in the distance as the prisoners saw him getting closer to their cells.

Jaron followed closely behind, always ready to watch his back.

"You will brief us later."he called out.

Percival's smile dropped in a second, a deep frown creasing his brow as he thought about the memories he had gathered.

The image of a blond man, about his age, was stuck to the front of his mind. The chiseled face, elegant posture, and cold, drilling stare that had watched his prisioner intently in that memory, captivating him yet unsettling him, left Percival with an unsettling feeling himself.

This was truly beyond them.

A man gathers followers, seducing his way into their trust with a charming, alluring personality. He analyses them, to know how to play them, what to say to them, and pounces.

He assembles a group of men intelligent enough to follow his directons smoothly, but fooled enough too to see they are a test of some sort.

The man sets the intructions, and dissapears. No name. Not a single way to identify him but his face, which could very well be fake.

That was the story behind the framings. All the men locked in those cells had been carefully picked to get inside his country, destabilize the Congress and leave. It was a pattern: all men were brought to the movement in the same manner, by the same man. But they were an isolated party, a small part of the movement. _It was a test_ , Percival knew, but he knew not of what. Of strenght? a display of power? a test to gauge the Congress?

What mattered was that it had been proved that the country could be breached, and it's authorities fooled. And there was a dangerous man, with even more dangerous ideas, going about Europe, drawing people like himself together for a purpose much less noble than what he preached. For even when Pervical agreed with the idea of equality with no-majs, he would never kill them to get to that point. But as Jaron had pointed out, there were many people who would, given the right push.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now we know Gellert's meddling with EEUU is not an isolated case, but he had tried his hand with America before. 
> 
> Percival now knows that, aside of the war, there is another danger, a man brewing an ideology. The three of them, Percy, Darry and Templeton, are the first and only ones who know Grindelwald to some extent in America. 
> 
> The story is getting to the point of the second part finally!
> 
> I had a lot of issues with this chapter. I wrote it four times because Word stopped working and I lost many files. And the copy in my phone got lost when it broke. Too much bad luck with it.
> 
> Hope you liked it. Stay with me!


	9. Odd Meetings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Tina keeps working hard, a meeting overseas take place, and with it comes an uninvited guest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short transition chapter, enjoy!

Tina woke up to a sour, cold morning, the wind rattling the window of their little apartment. She peered at her sister beside her, but the blond seemed to sleep peacefully. It was still very early, but Tina's restlessness, aided by her angst filled thoughts, chased away sleep...just like every time she went to sleep or woke up lately. The bags under her eyes made her look terrific, but luckily enough, everyone at the Academy merely thought it was the hard training. Her sister always knew better, of course, but there was no solution for this. Potions were addicting, and brought their own issues in the long run.

No-what Tina could do to get some sleep was to train. Hard, painful, exhausting training wore her down enough to knock her down for at least four hours. Of course she was worried about a certain black haired, moody Auror, full of anxiety and anger at being unable to do anything for him. But the mark engraved on her made her feel his fear, his tiredness and pain so strongly she often found it hard to separate her feelings from his. This had never happened before, she had felt him from time to time, mostly when the emotions were too strong for him to keep under control. But now...now the connection was so open that Tina could not contain his impact on her. She had a much darker mood as a result, and was wary of even her friends. Her eyes were less kind and her demeanor less open, she resembled her haunted teacher more.

Tina was mad with worry when he sent her the worst feelings through the bond. She could swear sometimes she heard screams that shook her up and made her want to tear at her hair in anguish.

But this was all Percival.

He heard the screams and he felt the need to burst out and shout his lungs out. He was the one who felt so much hate towards himself-not her.

But that knowledge made it worst, because the doubt, the fear, of what her lover was doing was eating her inside. She was as much worried for him as for what he was doing, and the crimes he was surely committing.

Porpentina was not naive. Justice and morals did not survive wars. They existed before and after them, but held no place in them. She wanted him back, but was not prepared to open her arms to him before fully accepting his actions. If he was responsible for something, as heinous as it was, she wanted to know. Queenie had told her that having that knowledge was a heavy burden, and that the love she held for him may not survive it. But Tina would not live telling herself a lie and ignoring the truth. This was no little secret, no mistress or sons, corruption or other things one could live with.

An hour later Tina found herself in the Academy, which was barely awake with people walking silently from one place to the other, still sleepy and slow. Her usual training room was empty, and she went inside, dropping her things at the door uncaringly and stripping of her clothes until she was clad only in her training uniform. Of course as she kept advancing on her education, and now that she was in her third and final year, the equipment, overall privileges and uniforms rose in quality. The cloth of her pants was black and thin, with a soft feeling to it, and stuck tight to her legs to help her move smoothly, and her sleeveless shirt, with an open collar, helped to feel more free and suffer the heath less. This outrageously immodest clothes were forbidden outside the training facilities, but Tina was glad the Academy was modern enough to admit that women's garbs were terribly uncomfortable for training. She only hoped that one day women would be allowed to dress more freely when in the streets, where being able to move properly and quickly was more important than in here.

She was barefoot, but she had made it a habit of sitting on the floor and rolling a magical lace around her feet and hands. It had been developed by ballerina witches, to reduce the injuries on their feet, and protect them from the phisical strain. Queenie was a genius for getting her sister some. Now her hands did not ache with the strain of the hard punches she threw with magic, nor her kicks. With the baby pink lace covering her hands and feet, she was ready to begin.

"Duel simulation" she said aloud, and the feeling of being inside a Pensieve welled inside her. The room could transform into the memory of a duel, but it attained the memory only to use her original contender's appearance to create an opponent which could respond to her spells. It was amazing magic. It only worked with memories of Academy duels, so there was no risk of stupid trainees emulating fights with people outside the Academy that they had fought with before. "level: high."

There he was, a misty cloud of grey smoke pooled around a spot, and faded away slowly to reveal her angry mentor.

"So you came back...Want to try again, trainee?" He sneered, his black hair falling over his eyes just as she remembered. Tina shuddered, but rose to her feet and gripped her wand, her gaze steady "I wont be the laugh of the place this time if you run away crying again. This time I will leave: crying little girls are a waste of my time." He sauntered over her, the memory of that particular duel was so real she had a hard time remembering this was only magic. Not him.

Percival stopped in front of her, heavy and towering and full of resentment. He took out his wand. Tina fought to remember this was not her Percival, but the memory of the mentor she had known on her first weeks in the Academy. She remembered he did not want to train her then, that he was being forced to do it. She remembered how he had beaten her up and she ended stranded in the hospital with a twisted wrist and half of her back burned by his angry spells.

It would not happen again. Percival gritted out something she had not heard then, so she would not understand now either, and swung his wand arm forward, cutting the air and sending a blast of fire at her.

This time she did not marvel at the raw power of his nonverbal casting, or got scared at the flames that had charred the skin on her back when she had turned on their original duel. Of course the simuation did not make Percival use the spells in the same order as in the memory, as it would have been so very easy to win knowing what would come next. It randomly used the spells he casted, and emulated his power, but it could also -depending on the level of difficulty- use spells from other memories of him, and borrow what he said in those too. The duel then became something almost alive and changing, that barely resembled the memories upon which it was based.

She flung away and casted a strong shield in a second, but received part of the impact anyway. Tina fell with a thud but jumped up to defend from the next spell, that came within seconds. Damned Percival was an incredibly quick caster, he left no time for his opponent to see what was coming to them. When Tina fought him, it always came down to quick defense, and lucky guess or intuition, as it was almost impossible sometimes to register what the spells were.

That's how, like now, her protection could fail. The protection she had casted broke under the strength of his reducto, a spell he was pretty adept at-but who was she kidding? He was adept at everything!

As her shield blew up, her body was sent to the nearest wall, and she collapsed on the floor.

"Damn, Goldstein, really? Just two hits to take you down?" Graves whistled with mirth, and Tina realized this was drawn from another memory, much more recent, as he was at least friendly.

Tina fumbled and got up again, knowing that choosing him as an opponent had been a good decision: it was a lot harder to fight him, as she was easily distracted. That was why she was doing such a poor job at fighting. She had to learn to look past him and see only an enemy. Not his mentor, not his lover, but a man to take down. She took advantage of his smug pause to charge ahead, her wand doing fast motions, throwing silver bursts at him. One after another, he evaded them with ease. She still kept her cool. She was getting near him.

The main flaw this simulation had: It was not Percival. It did not think, the level of difficulty applied to the number, danger and power of the spells, along with the frequency in which they were cast and other values. But there was no reasoning nor strategy about it, and it did not know of Tina's own abilities. Percival himself was a deadly opponent in close combat, but this simulator...this lie, she could handle that.

As they kept firing spells at each other, Tina in a calculated but stressed way and Percival in his elegant, effortless style, they kept getting near to each other. At one point, those dark eyes of his, dull and lifeless, seemed to light up for a moment.

"Tina-" he huffed, a breathless laugh escaping him, so very much like the ones he could not hold back each time they fought for fun. It unnerved her how he sounded so _right_ "-you look the most beautiful like this!" He gave her a little smile as he sent a a powerful Expelliarmus her way. She should have been able to block it, but his words hurt so much she let the spell hit her, surrendered to the almost real sensation of having him so close. Just one step away" though I wish- you would smile more when we duel!"

It was too much. And all the pain and anger that she had been feeling for so long, hers and Percival's combined, tore at her in an angry cry, as she felt once more the boiling magic in her blood run in her veins. With a choked sob she threw herself forward, aiming for the imposter's mouth, but Percival dodged expertly and delivered a kick to her side that had her gasping for a breath.

In the heath of the moment, and with her magic boiling with power, she casted a Disillusionment charm on herself wandlessly, the effort taxing her greatly, but raising her confidence. As Graves took a step back to assess the situation, she sent a kick to his knees, making him stumble and kneel hard on the floor. Not wasting a single moment, she used her enhanced strength to immobilize him, blocking his arms and legs from behind. The charm ceased, as keeping it up was useless and taxing now.

Tina looked at his strong back, his neck and strong jaw, the soft black hair she so loved, and smelt the intoxicating but subtle cologne he wore at all times. It was so utterly him. Her eyes started to water slightly.

_Don't be stupid, don't cry..._

His arms were blocked, hands pointing upwards at each side of his face. She failed to see one of them move tenderly, the fingers making a slow movement, and suddenly she was in the ground, her limbs convulsing by the amount of electricity the lightening spell threw at her. The spell had been so well executed that she had passed out, eyes rolling to the back of her head as her body went limp and cold.

Five minutes later she woke up with a massive headache,and the feeling of niddles stabbing at her flesh all over. The simulation had ended, the fake was Percival long gone, and she could not stop the tears this time. Tina cried silently for some time, and she absent-mindedly heard the sounds of rising activity all around her, as the Academy filled and quickened it's pace.

Porpentina picked herself up and went to grab her wand and clothes, ready to take a much needed shower and have a proper breakfast. But as she ascended the stairs to head to the showers, she bumped into someone.

"Sorry I-" she started ashamed, but stopped when she looked up.

"There you are, I have been looking for you...guess a traitor's trainee like you have to hide from the shame all the time. Do yourself a favor and quit this place, nobody wants to have you here anyway." James, the idiot, was alone this time, for once not surrounded by his brainless friends. It was unbelievable, how he always seemed to appear at the right time to ruin her day.

"Whatever my mentor is doing right now, it surely is beyond your ability to comprehend, so forgive me if I don't get angry at your pathetic attempts at mockery. If you are too slow to see that a man like Graves would never abandon his duty I will not lose my time trying to spell it out to you." She was seething inside, although her face remained blank. She did not understand just why she was so angry. After all, James teased her all the time, but it never got to her in the end.

"Yeah, keep trusting him and backing him up. They already suspended him and I'm sure they will fire him soon."

"You think the Director will fire him?" She laughed, losing her patience by the second. The Director would try to hold off that decision for as long as he could, after all, weren't they friends?

"It's not up to him anymore. He is too attached to make the decision. Harold Bonneville has his days counted. I'm sure the Congress will force his resignation again soon."

"In the middle of a war? Do you want another mob at the Congress' doors? More deaths?" Tina asked incredulous "Just in what side are you?" James' smugness fell at this.

"I only want the Department and the Academy away from the spotlight and having a good reputation again. But it won't happen as long as the Director and his friends keep dragging us back. Graves and the other Seniors left, and we are being under investigation again." At this he crossed his arms and scowled at her " And you defend them." Tina understood his reasoning, but he was acting like a pig with her when she had nothing to do with anything-as far as he knew.

"I get that, but it still isn't my fault. If what you say is true, then who knows who the next Director will be? I don't agree with Bonneville's methods either, but this is not the time to change our Director." She tried to reason.

"Did Graves tell you anything?" James asked her, eyeing her like he already knew the answer was 'yes' " did he really go to fight in Europe?"

"Contrary to what all believe here, he didn't, he just left."

Feigning resentment was not hard, Tina found, maybe she did resent Percival, even when she knew he had a mission. James looked away and then back at her. Not in the mood to fight her anymore, but neither willing to be civil with her, he side stepped her and walked ahead down the stairs.

Tina bit back a sigh, thinking about James' words, for as much as she disliked him, there was truth to what he had said. Percival had gone rogue, he was considered a traitor by most, and he would be announced as a wanted man soon. She was already treated with suspicion at the Academy, her mentor had become a stain in her file rather than the great reference he had been before. For that, some pitied her, like Kevin, and still remained friendly with her. Kevin and her had been distanced, her worry about Percival and the Congress had left her with little of that carefree nature that the trainees at the Academy still retained.

Kevin could not comprehend the change in her, but the coldness and indifference he sensed hurt him. For him,Tina was elsewhere, her thoughts far away, and she had left their friendship grow cold. Things may have been different if her mentor had not decided to escape for the war, the boy thought. His final year, in which Tina would finally share all subjects with him, was not as great as he had envisioned.

Tina had not the presence of mind to realize it was her fault. Her last year was spent in training and studying, intent on becoming an Auror to finally be able to aid Percival and Darry in their missions. 

* * *

 

Percival was having a rough year too. A team of three Aurors investigating a movement led by one man, who could be anywhere in Europe...it was illogical at best. Their little team took turns to guard the basement, research and make inquiries. But as they had predicted, the group of terrorists that had attacked the Congress were an isolated group, and their strings to the movement had been severed. The Movement itself did not have a name, as far as they knew, nor a symbol or any other means of identification. They only had one leader, a nameless face that was working on expanding his followers.

From what little Percival could get from the locked minds of his prisoners, the members were mostly intellectuals, people who thought _'why do we live like this if we can live in a better way?'_. They questioned, and the answers their governments provided were lacking. They did not find contentment with their position in this world. They were mostly young, eager to make a difference, with confidence and faith in magic. Magic could force it's way into the muggle world, and would protect them from any hostile no-majs.

Echoes' of an idea... _the greater good._

When Christoph's mind broke under the pressure of Percival's power, the man had been left in his cell in a catatonic state, whispering those words over and over again. But what did they mean? What was the greater good?

They had been waiting for a long time to hear from the Director. They had narrowed their prisoners to five leaders, among them Christoph, and another twenty followers, who had collaborated in their plans in various, but smaller ways. The rest had been set free, their memories wiped and exchanged. Most of the innocents believed that they had been held by no-maj soldiers. It was easy to convince their minds of it, one small benefit of the war.

Now they were waiting for Harry, to decide what to do with the criminals, and the man who had lead them and abandoned them. Percival lay on a thin mattress, in one of the cells. With the privilege of having his wand, he had transformed it into a somewhat decent bedroom. The were no leaks, or currents of cold air, but it was still a depressive place. Some sense of morality made him refrain from making his bedroom a more comfortable place, as if living more like his prisoners and suffering with them made him less of a bastard. What a way to cheat himself.

Harry arrived by portkey, at the exact time when Darry dropped he wards, appearing inside the basement. The wards were then set up again. They had thought about casting a Fidelius, but they had been constantly getting people inside, and that would mean each prisoner would become a Keeper, for the secret would need to be divulged to them for them to enter the place at all.

Harry looked as weary as all of them, and twice as impatient. Percival jumped out of his bed the second he heard the arrival of his boss, and quickly went to see him. As soon as he reached his boss, they both embraced each other, glad the other was safe for the time being. Percival's voice trembled slightly as he asked his most important question. "Harry, Tina-"

"She's fine, somewhat isolated and crestfallen, but with an angry determination, as I have been told." Graves let out a hearty laugh at that, relief evident on his face. He knew through the bond that she was safe, but hearing it from the lips of a man that he trusted was something else entirely. They patted each others back and stepped away, as Darry and Templeton approached to greet the man. The dark mood that had reigned over the basement for so long lifted for a precious short time as the four were back together. But soon the magic faded as their gloom reality set over their shoulders yet again.

They went to Percival's cell, the farthest away from the prisoners, and warded the door against all noise. Harry sat on the bed, frowning at the uncomfortable mattress, and listened to his Auror's report with undivided attention.

"Could you show me this man?" He asked, as they talked about the mysterious blond man that had appeared through all the investigation. Percival's dark eyes, in a display of trust and loyalty, fell upon his, as he forced the image of the man in question to the front of his mind. Harry dipped in enough to see it, and tore his eyes away, breaking the connection "I have never seen him before. He is not from England, that we know, unless he's faking his accent too. We are in deep, there is no way we can ask England, France or any other European country for their aid in this investigation, the war has them occupied for the moment. And we can't trust our very Government, it's obvious this man was trying to test us, and we failed to protect it."

"We have done endless searches over the year, but this man knows how to cover his tracks. The only evidence of his involvement is inside the mind of our prisoners. And we need to know what to do with them." Percival said, hand sweeping back the strands of hair over his eyes nervously. Darry bristled.

"Surely we can ship them off to America, make them stand for trial, and get back our jobs. After that, strengthening security and getting support in the investigation on the Movement will be easier."Thaddeus said.

"It will not be that easy, Darry. We escaped the country on the secret order of our Director. That would be enough if Harry had the power to end the issue there. I suspect the Congress has your leash short, right boss? They wont accept our excuses easily." Jaron worked out, looking at the bald, big man sitting awkwardly on a small, frail bed.

"You are right. These last years my word has been losing it's weight. I fear my time as Director is coming to an end. That's why we have to keep this inside the Department until a new Director can gain enough position in the Congress to make this investigation known, and make sure you are not thrown in jail or sentenced to death for all this."

"But what will we do while we are... _purposefully exiled?_ " Darry asked, frowning.

"We will see," was Harry's reply, it was evident he had not thought that far ahead "the prisoners will stay here. As much as I would like to leaave those bastards to rot, we must keep them in good shape until they can confess."

Harry got up, and the bed complained noisily as his weight lifted. He then dropped the sound proof ward on the door and walked his way through the hallway, marching towards the wide space in the entry of the basement, to take a portkey back home.

They were reaching the end of the hall, when a subtle noise, like the rustling of clothes, was heard ahead. The four men halted, frozen in place. Could it be that a prisoner had escaped? As unlikely as it was, the noise had been very real. Wands drawn, they got to the edge of the wall, ready to fight.

"Come out, I am waiting" the familiar voice Percival had heard in so many memories, the voice of the mystery man himself, rang softly, beckoning them"...I won't shoot, I promise."

Harry snorted loudly at that, not trusting the man for a second, but Percival thought different. He had seen the wizard in enough memories to shape an idea of his character. Slowly, he moved ahead of Harry, who sent an incredulous look his way, grabbing his arm in a death grip.

" _What the fuck is wrong with you?!_ " He hissed " He will kill you the second you step into his range!" Percival pried his hand away, trying to calm his boss with a steady glance.

"Trust me."

Percival walked into the room, spying the closed exit of the basement. He must have entered when the wards came down and Harry arrived. Probably used a Disillusionment charm . _But how did he enter-?_

There he was, standing tall and confident, hands behind his back, clad in a dark suit. His skin as white as Percival had seen it, his face angular, with elegant features. The shining blond hair, perfectly styled, just as Christoph had liked it...and the eyes, the steel-grey eyes that held his boldly. Those eyes struck Percival the most, for it had seemed to him before that intelligence could not be seen in a man's eyes, until he came across this particular man. Those eyes sparkled, not with sentiment like many others, but with something else entirely. Something threatening. The man smirked upon seeing him, and unclasped his hands, bringing them forward to show they were bare.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Auror Graves."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo Grindelwald meets Percival at last! Next chapter will be more exiting, I promise,   
> Please comment so I know I'm doing things right. 
> 
> Alaiis, I replied to your last comment but forgot to do so directly at the comment, so you may not have noticed. Check it now if you want to!


	10. A Failed Mission

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gellert is the catalyst, the beginning of their end, as Percival mission falls apart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was absent so long you deserve quick updates. Now to the action!!

_"It's a pleasure to meet you, Auror Graves."_

  
"I would return the courtsy if I knew your name." Percival stated, carefully civil. This man was dangerous, he knew how to play with people, but Graves had to avoid being fooled. No more mistakes. The stranger gave him another of his small, mirthful smiles.

  
"It has come to my attention that you and your friends are very interested in myself," the man had the nerve to say" although your efforts are unnecesary...I will be known by all, wizards and muggles, when the time comes."  
Percival's mind was working quickly, analysing the man's threat, assessing his position, planning, but his eyes never left the hold of his guest's calculating stare.

  
"But you may call me Gellert, Percy." the man smirked, casting his eyes down for a second, as he took a tentative step closer "After all, you and I have been chasing each other, even if you were unaware, for _years_."  
Percival frowned and looked down on him, mildly disgusted.

  
"I'm at a loss there, do explain, please" he mockingly followed the game. This...Gellert, had a thing for theatrics, Percival had come to realise. The man was charming, fluid in conversation, building a psicological connection with his victims. He twisted and turned like a snake around them, ensnaringly, leading them exactly where he wanted. Percival had to focus.  
Gellert's eyes sparkled at the Auror's snarky responses, he seemed fuelled by them.

  
"You are a remarkable man, Percival." the blond said, a little more loudly" I confess that I am drawn to remarkable men, as they are scarse these days. I make it my job to find them, and help them reach their full potential. Only they can help me, in return, to make wizardkind see their mistakes, and guide them to the truth." Gellert stepped closer" You, and your friends back there, had been in my list for some time. But the path you chose as an Auror led you to stand in my way."

Percival did not back away, he met his words with cold silence, the flattery failing to reach him. The wizard would have to change tactics to impress him.

  
"So, the four years I spent tearing out spies and traitors from our Goverment...it was you. You sent them-why?" the dark haired man seethed, feeling stupid at being so blind for so many years. And angry too, so very angry.

  
Gellert clapped his hands once proudly at him for finally making the connection.

  
"Well...you _must_ know. You know about the Movement I have started. Why would I have chosen America and not Britain or another country to settle my growing influence?" the man asked fervently, as he waited for Percival to think it through, watching him hungrily.

  
Percival's eyes lit up in realisation.

  
"American wizards are of the most conservative in regards to no-majs in the world,"Graves thought aloud, and Gellert's smirk widened in response" we are less inclined to lean towards them to defend them over our kind than others, and we scarcely interact with them willingly. Spreading your ideas here would be very easy indeed." the Auror mused, he could not help it: it made complete sense. He knew his own country, the people he defended, and they were a lot less no-maj friendly than british wizards were.

  
Still taking cover at the start of the hallway, Harry, Darry, and Templeton looked at each other, Percival's words hitting them hard. Harry had always leaned against no-maj supremacy, but those ideals had been mostly casted away when he took the position of Director, sacrificing his personal beliefs to become a better authority. A small dose of respect and admiration mingled with his deep hatred towards the man who had caused his people so much grief.

  
Darry and Jaron, on the other hand, were scared, as both had good reasons to fear for the no-majs' fate were they unable to stop this man now.

  
"Well done, Percival." was Gellert's praise, to which Percival hardened, disgusted.

  
"What you have done will grant you a death sentence, Gellert, one which I will personally see through."he spat, angrily, but the other wizard seemed unnafected by his statement.

  
"That will not be my fate," the blond assured him, his eyes losing their spark, suddenly cold and unnerving" I am giving you all a chance to join me. I was not lying when I spoke of your potential, Percival: it is raw and full of harmful emotions, but I can mold you into an astounding wizard...and I know you are not as opposed to my ideas as you pretend." Gellert sentenced. Percival flared, losing his cool.

  
"I will not kill or slave innocent no-majs for us to be in the light again!" he bellowed, his hands balled in thight fists, shaking from indignation at those statements. Gellert admired him silently, and shook his head, keeping his voice steady.

  
"You are mistaking my plans, Percy-" the blond wizard advanced, so close Percival could extend his arm and grasp his neck if he wanted " I do not intend on killing muggles for sport. But I cannot promise there wont be deaths; as you well know, we have to make sacrifices for the greater good."

  
"The greater good" Percival repeated, as his mind pictured the horrors so many people would suffer.

  
"Yes,"Gellert's eyes came back to life, the fervor in his soft voice returning with strenght" the greater good: that is my idea, Percy, my dream. The ends justify the means, there must be casualties for this dream to come to life, that is the way of power and new orders, and that is something you understand, my boy."

  
"No- no you are very wrong." Percival felt a flicker of insecurity and remorse licking at the back of his mind at the wizards' words, his old enemy, guilt, rose with a vengeance as he shook his head in desperate denial" I am not like you." he stressed.

  
A rare, breathy laugh escaped the pale man's lips at that, and Percival winced.

  
"Really, Percy? Just look at where we are..." Gellert mocked him coldy, smirking at the doubts evident in his eyes" _A torturer's lair._ Is this the way Aurors treat their prisoners? Breaking their minds, exploiting their deepest fears? Leaving them to starve and suffer the cold, the fear and the rats." he shook his head as the Auror gritted his teeth in barely contained rage "No, my dear boy. You understand this is necessary, you do what you must to protect your people."

  
Percival was trying and failing miserably to pull himself together. The bastard had done it. He had found his weakness, and Percival's mind was so fragile, he had been so tired and angry for so long that he was starting to crumble.

  
Gellerts eyes followed a movement behind him, he noted, and he tried to focus again hard.

  
"Dont listen to him, Percy." Jaron's deep voice reached him, as his friends finally stepped into view, wands pointing at Gellert. The man himself did not look worried at all, and merely stepped away, drawing his wand swiftly and silently, prepared " He's trying to manipulate you. You, and all of us know you are not like him."

  
"Good evening, Director," Gellert said corteously, as if he didn't have three wands pointed at him and an armed Auror so close " I sincerely hope my dealings in your country have not severely affected your position."

  
"My position will remain so enough to watch you die after the whole Congress hears you confess, you murdering bastard." Harry boomed, not in the mood for polite talk.

  
Again the blond laughed.

  
"You seem to be like our dear Percival, Director, blind to your own hypocrisy; you call me a murdering bastard-well, the insult suits you too!" Gellert smirked "I had hoped I would leave with a few more men following me today, and given your profile, Director, I was almost certain one of them would be you." his smirk faded" It is a pity. I cannot let you hold my men...I would rather keep being unnoticed for now. You want them to confess and I can't have that." he explained matter of factly.

  
"So you think we will let you walk away now?" Harry spat" I will smash that confident smirk of yours against the wall before we kick you inside one of those cells."

  
Gellert's eyes dulled at this, a shadow falling over them.

  
"You are an insignificant, angry little man. Do not cross me." he warned, his voice cold and sharp. Percival watched the change in him worriedly, as clearly Harry did not know the man enough, and provoking him was not the best course of action.

  
Darry bravely leaped forward firing quick, strong spells at the man, who easily intercepted them. The talk was over. Jaron joined, as they both tried to create an opening in the man's defense. But Gellert was incredibly fast, his wand slashing the air in swift, confident motions, deflecting each spell with little effort.

  
Harry then marched ahead, and rose his wand to the air. Making a sweeping movement, he sent a strong gust of wind, that had the blond almost missing his step mid duel. Percival also sent numerous blasts of magic towards the man, but his main focus was to move behind him. They were all attacking with not a single breath of pause, but the wizard was besting the four of them, his body moving constantly, as if in a dance.

  
Gellert, decided not to waste more time, rose a hande towards the hallways with the prisoner's cells, and casted nonverbal, wandless spells while deflecting his enemies' attacks. Percival knew he was tearing down the wards at the cells, and knew he had to stop him.

  
The dark haired Auror was already behind Gellert, and used both his wand and his hand to cast two lightening blasts, so strong, that the blond wizard dropped the fight and casted a full shield, the impact resulted in a burst of blinding light. The force of the magic dispersed, hitting them all and sending them to the ground. But as Percival opened his eyes again, he was astounded to see Gellert's shield intact, as the man used his hand to keep disarming the cells. A second after they all heard the doors sliding open, and more than twenty pairs of feet running their way in a frenzied mob. The prisoners were wandless, hurt and very weak, but they launched into a fervent attack that surprised the Aurors greatly. Templeton, Darry and Harry, the closest to the hallway entry, tried to hold them at bay, trying not to kill the unarmed men in the effort.

  
Gellert instantly ignored them, and turned his back on them, dropping his shield. He casted a pitying look towards Percival as he faced him fully.

  
"You are good, Percy-"he stated, and rose his wand to Graves' chest " but not enough to fight me."

  
Percival intended to prove him wrong.

  
Gellert thrust his body and wand arm forward, with the gracefulness of a fencer's stab. His wand cut the air violently as he forced Percival's body to him, too fast for almost any wizard to block. Almost completely paralised, he bared his teeth at the blond wizard, who clasped his neck and squeezed, bringing their faces a breath away from each other.

  
"Last chance." the wizard uttered. Not giving up, but feeling the pain from the grip constricting his neck, Graves thought of Tina. Of sweet, but dangerous, innocent Tina, and remembered he had promised to go back to her.

  
And he did what he thought _she_ would have done in his position: willing his magic to run to his left hand, he swung a fist to Gellerts face, colliding with his sharp cheekbone. He heard an angry grunt and felt himself get freed from the clasp pf his hand and his magic. Not wasting a moment, he grabbed the kneeling man and slammed him hard against the nearest wall.

  
"That's never going to happen" he huffled, as he charged his hands and released his lightening spell again.

 

Gellert took it all with barely a gasp, and his trembling hand fell upon Percival's forehead.

  
"Cr-crucio!" he snarled, and the pain filled Percival completely. In a second, it became all he felt and all he could think about, as he fell on the ground, twisting and turning in excruciating pain.

  
Now freed, Gellert retrieved his wand from the floor and came to stand above him, looking down at the shuddering man intently.

  
"...Impe-" his spell was cut by a low, menacing growl, and he turned in time to see an immense black figure speeding towards him. He sent quick blasts of silver light at it, but the beast's coat of fur, bathed in magic, took it all with no harm. The black bear struck him, it's claw striking his right eye, and it's whole body colliding against his. Blood started to pour down his face in an alarming pace, but the wizard stood again, his face no longer a mask of attractive smugness.  
Gellert's bloody face showed a chilling thirst, Percival saw, as he stood with difficulty from the ground. It was impossible to describe, the mad violence radiated by a still an quiet man.

  
The bear got to it's hinder legs, letting out a menacing sound, and Percival was grateful for his friend trying to defend him.

  
"An illegal animagus, Director?" Gellert lisped, his entire demeanor deadly still" _Now_ I am surprised."

  
Percival had thought the man had been fighting them before, but he realised he had been _playing_ with them all.  
The blond wizard raised his wand forward and then sent his arm flying back, paralyzing Percival and sending him crashing against a wall.

  
"Stay there" the man lisped at him, and faced the animagus.

  
Percival's head had hit the ground harshly, and when he came about again, feeling the warm liquid oozing from the back of it, he saw with blurry eyes the bear charge at the man, who was holding back Darry and Jaron again by himsef, followed by a flash of green that made him turn away from it's brightness.

  
As understandment dawned on him, he fought to get back on his feet, his wand still in his limp hand. Percival shouted, blinded and dizzy by the sudden movement.

  
"HARRY!" his voice failed and he took an unsteady step forward. The blood was falling past his neck now, and he heard screams matching his own.

  
He saw Jaron and Thaddeus fight fiercely, and tried to get near them, straightening his back and taking a firmer grasp of his wand.

  
_Help them, come on, help them!_

  
He was ready to throw up- or faint? He couldn't decide.

  
_Harry-_

  
As he finally reached them all, a limping mess, Gellert sent a blast of violet towards Jaron. Templeton would be unable to block it, Thaddeus realised in a split of a second, and jumped his way, colliding with the taller man and sending him out of the way. The spell hit Darry at the base of his back, and he let out a scream loud and raw enough to rip Percival out of his semi unconcius state.

  
Blinking hard, Graves watched his friends fall to the ground, and Jaron instantly threw himself towards the body of the white haired man, desperately checking his wound.

  
"We have to get out of here!!" he cried out, shaking hands tainted with blood as he tried to apply his basic Healer skills on his friend's injury.

  
Percival turned to Gellert, who was watching him intently, dull grey eyes indifferent to their pain.

  
"Come Percy, did you think you could best me?"

  
In that moment, all he saw was red, and his blood boiled as he remembered the lump of his dead friend behind him, his mentor, as he heard the moans of a man who was like a brother to him, bleeding to death on the ground beside him, and the stuttering voice of his last friend, trying to desperately to save a most precius life.

  
Percival fell upon him burning hate, not caring for his own life. His magic, molten and flowing, fuelled by his state, utterly controlled him. As he sent one furious curse after another, he led them away from his friends. Gellert still held his ground against him, and met his curses with a hungry shine in his eyes.

  
"YOU KILLED HIM!" he howled, out of control, his hand casting quickly. Gritting sounds where heard, as Percival's magic pulled the metal bars from the cells, and called them to him. Suddenly lots of metal bars came flying like spears into the room, directed at Gellert's chest, but none stabbed him, as the man's powerful shield proteted him yet again. The sound of metal hitting the ground filled the room.

  
Not deterred by this, Graves kept throwing curse after curse, lost to his emotions, while his enemy enjoyed every second of it. And a few steps away, Jaron was fighting to keep his friend concious and stabilized. Finally understanding that Percival had lost his senses, and seeing that Darry needed a Healer urgently, he sought for a way to escape. His eyes frantically swept through the room, until they landed on Harry's portkey. It was an old no-maj copper compass, that glinted with every flash of magic that the duelers casted. And it was on the other side of the room, resting on the floor in a puddle of murky water.

  
"Hang on mate, I'm getting you out of here" he whispered in Thaddeus ear, and gently passed an arm behind his friends arms, lifting him to a sitting position. Darry shuddered and coughed horribly, and Jaron placed his head over his shoulder, as the man was barely concious and too weak to hold himself. He then tried to stand, as slowly as possible, and casted a look at his other friend, worriedly.

  
Percival was howling incoherently, unshed tears blurring his sight. He could not bear to lose the man who had been like a father to him, another one of the few people he truly cared about gone. He was lost in the fight, until the pained sound of his friend's choked sob ringed in his ear, bringing him back. He sent a powerful curse at Gellert and as the other wizard casted a shield to protect himself, Percival looked over his shoulder.

  
There he saw his two friends standing, Templeton holding a trembling Thaddeus with angst written all over his face, waiting for him. It dawned on him then that they had to escape right then if they hoped to survive, but he would not leave any of his friends behind.

  
Percival resolutely brought his wand up, and forced the ceiling to collapse over Gellert's spot. Not waisting a second, as the entire ceiling started to come down in big chunks of concrete, wood and tiles, he ran to Harry.

  
"MOBILICORPUS!" he shouted, and the body rose in the air, following him as he made his way towards his friends.

  
Jaron could barely hold a shield against the debris, and when Percival arrived, he made it dissapear, grabbing his friend tightly.

  
"ACCIO COMPASS!" Templeton casted, and the little copper portkey came flying to them, dodging the chunks of ceiling in its way.

  
Just when they felt the pull at the level of their navel, sucking them into a sweeping turmoil, they saw the seething blond man, blasting his way towards them with his eyes drilling theirs.

  
And then they dissapeared.

* * *

  
Seraphina Picquery was pouring herself a cup of coffee, trying to dissolve her building worry in small tasks, as she waiter for the Director to come back from his meeting across the sea. More than an hour and a half had passed since he had taken the portkey, and she was starting to fear something had not gone accoding to their plan. For discreetness sake, they had reunited in Harry's country home, a quiet house far away from no-majs and wizards alike. It was night time already, and she took a seat with her steaming cup near a window, watching the moonlit fields with a troubled gaze.  
Her partners were not the only ones with a task assigned. While Percival weeded out spies and traitors she, the more tactical and discreet of them all, had spent her time drawing near to the Congress' circles. Her mission was to infiltrate them, convince them she was like them. She could get Percival the Congress' pardon, in exchange for turning Harry in. The Director knew this and had agreed to it.

  
So Seraphina got the worst part of it, for she was the one who arranged the plan, and she would turn in a friend in exchange for saving three other ones. They could either let him resign and replace him, the quiet option, or try and taint his reputation with a trial, in which she would have to take part against him. But she was strong enough to do so, and would have to learn to live with it too. None of them would leave unscathed from this.

  
As she drank her coffee quietly, mulling these thoughts over, the tell tale sound of apparition broke the ominous silence in the house, followed by gasps and a thud.

  
"HELP! PLEASE!" Seraphina was alarmed to hear the strong, deep voice of Templeton tinted with anxiety.  
She dropped the cup and flew towards the sitting room, where the sounds came from, wand in hand and ready to fight an imposter, but what she saw when she arrived stilled her in absolute shock. Jaron was holding an unconcious Darry on the rug, in the middle of the room, they were both covered in blood, dust and debris.

  
An Auror trained to act on dire situations, she quickly assessed they needed a Healer, but going to a hospital was out of the question, and that only left...

  
She went straight to the fireplace, grabbing a bunch of floo powder from a green vessel over it's ledge and throwing it unceremoniusly insde it, letting her head stick in alongside it.

  
"Academy's Hospital!" she shouted as the green flames rose around her head.

  
Nurse Anny was humming a song while replacing urinals from each bed, when the bursting green flames came alive at the fire place, a few patients behind, making her jump in fright. The pots fell with a clattering noise, making a disgusting mess on the floor, but she paid them no mind, as she ran towards the fire. The floo network was only used on emergencies or to transport important people to the Hospital, so she had reasons enough to worry when it came alive.  
She was surpised to see Auror Picquery's head come out of the fire, as she was not usually seen in the Academy, much like Percival, she was one to neglect the place.

  
"Yes dear, what can I do for you?" she inquired.

  
"Bring all you have for every curse you know, NOW!" the younger woman demanded, and Anny jumped into action in a moment, accioing all sorts of balms, potions, books and everything that came to her mind. She was not deeply offended by the harsh treatment she received, as after all these years she understood how an emergency altered people.

  
Anny stepped into the fire when she was ready. She arrived at a familiar place, which she only visited on special, usually pretty bad occasions, a house she did not know where exactly was located. Anny instantly recognized the wounded men on the floor, and ran to hep. Seeing that Thaddeus Darry was barely with them, she started with him.

  
That had been the start of a very long night.

* * *

  
The next morning, Jaron woke up in Harry's guest room, the memories flooding his mind instantly, leaving him no peace. He did not have time to mourn the loss of his friend, as two issues were making him increasingly nervous. He got up slowly, noticing he had been changed into lighter, clean clothing, and made his way outside the bedroom, looking for anyone to talk to.

  
Seraphina was in the kitchen preparing breakfast. When she looked up from the stove and met his eyes, she ran at him and hugged him tenderly.

  
"I hoped you would wake up early to tell me what happened, yesterday your magic was so depleted you passed out without saying anything coherent" she told him, as she helped him to get to a chair, and accioed his food.

  
"Darry-" he croacked out, his voice raspy and weak. Picquery's eyes instantly fell to the floor, and she did not look up"-is he...?" he swallowed, because if it was true, if he had lost both of his friends...

  
"He is alive, Jaron," she assured him quickly, and he let out a long sight, head dropping into his hands" but he wont be the same anymore."

  
"What do you even mean?" Jaron replied harshly, fear rising again.

  
"The curse...we do not know what it was, but his magic fought it, to keep him alive. Anny says-" Seraphina swallowed, tears welling in her deep brown eyes" she says he lost his magic."

  
"Can that happen?" Jaron was incredulous.

  
"Apparently, it is completely depleted...Thaddeus is- he is like a squib now, he won't do magic again."

  
At this, Jaron closed his eyes and racked his hands through his hair violently. There were fates worse than death. Being an Auror was everything his friend ever hoped to do, it brought meaning to his life, and now he had lost his meaning...all for him. If Thaddeus had not jumped to push Jaron away from the curse, he would not have lost his magic.

  
The truth hurt, and Jaron slammed his hands against the table. Unable to control his magic, he watched the whole room start to tremble, pots and knives making more noise as his frustration grew.Seraphina approached him slowly and sat next to him, speaking to him tenderly and patiently, trying to soothe him.

  
Jaron started to calm down when he heard Anny, the nurse, going about the house, and composed himself. The nurse gave them some time before calling them to Darry's room. They got inside silently, supporting each other, and saw him. The white haired wizard was sleeping in a stiff posture, arms extended at his sides, his face slighlty etched with pain. He had the same concussions and cuts Jaron had all over his body, but they could his waist was thightly bandaged up to his chest.

  
His friends sat with him and grabbed his hands. Darry was the most active, loud guy they had ever known, and watching him like this, unmoving and silent, felt so very wrong to them.

  
When the nurse left them, they raised a ward on the room, and then Jaron spoke freely, recounting everything that had happened. Hearing of Harry's death at the hands of that murderer made Seraphina cry with abandon for the first time in years.

  
"Where is Percival?" Seraphina said after he finished, both holding each other as she wiped her tear stained face with a handerchief. He frowned, and looked at her puzzled.

  
"Where is him? Isn't he here?" he said, not understanding.

  
"You two arrived here alone, but you just told me all of you took the portkey" she said, and they both got up, uneasy. Jaron made a strong effort to remember.

  
"We all took it, I know he dissapeared with us, I saw it" he was recounting every memory, trying to figure out what had happened.

  
"Maybe...maybe there was an accident, and that's why he didn't get here, he might have appeared somewhere in between the basement and this house." Seraphina tried to reason, aiming to stay positive and not burden his friend any more.

  
"Like a failed Apparition? It makes sense...his hold of the portkey was unsteady, he was struggling not to let go of-"

"Of what?" she asked him, trying not to lose time now that they knew Percival could be in danger.

"Of Harry's body" Jaron whispered.

* * *

 

The blond wizard was standing in a small, old bathroom, stripped of his coat and vest, his previously stark white shirt still tucked and buttoned neatly.

  
He squeezed a rag under the pink water pooling in the handwash and cleaned it again before pressing it to his right eye tenderly, cleaning thoroughly all over the wound. He opened his eye and looked into the mirror. His skin was pink and his golden locks stained with his own blood, and he tried to remember the last time a man had drawn his blood in a fight...the Director had put up a fight in the end, surprisingly.

  
Gellert Grindelwald's right eye was a mess: his cornea had been scratched deeply by the tip of the animagus' claw. His iris had collapsed, making his pupil look deformed and unnerving. He was blind on that eye, the pain was immense and demanded his attention, but his mind wandered. Why did he not kill the boy? He decided not to follow that line of thought, in the end, as he would be useful in the future. Gellert would rethink Percival's position in his plan, everyone was of use for something.

  
Harold's death was a good decision, though. Now the country had lost it's more extreme protector, and he could see Percy rising, taking his place, making sure to close the gates of his country to the man who had murdered his friend. It was the clear outcome, as none of his friends seemed to fill the shoes properly. They fit elsewhere.

  
Percival was more emotional, easier to predict, to manipulate. He was a messy dueler, Gellert mused, as his hand touched the red bruise on his cheekbone. He liked his resourcefulness, his drive...

  
"Sir, did you ask for me?" a slightly cowering voice broke into his thoughts, and he look away from his reflection to see his Healer, a plump, nervous little man, standing just outside the bathroom, hands clasped and expectant.

  
"I did, Arthur," he said" can you fix this?" he faced the man, letting him see the eye clearly.The Healer came forward awkwardly, and inclined his head to inspect it, wand in hand, making diagnostic spells.

  
"I-i think I can," the man said "but I'm not certain it will look the same. That is to say, I don't think I can make it unnoticeable."

  
"Do not bother with that Arthur, do your best."Grindelwald said, and gripped the vanitory tightly, as a searing pain burst in his head, and his eye started to slowly reconstruct again.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are almost there, just at the end of the first part.
> 
> A few notes...
> 
> In this story, characters are listed by power in this way:
> 
> Gellert and Albus first, they hold, even when young, the most power. They are the most intelligent wizards too (at least in comparison to the other characters in this story).
> 
> Then, down the scale, we have Percival, Harry and Jaron.
> 
> Harry is down by magical prowess, but of course his political power was higher, and then there is Seraphina, who's strenght is in politics too.
> 
> Lower we find the other Senior Aurors, then the Juniors and lastly the trainees. 
> 
> Gellert could have killed them all if he wanted, but that was not his plan. Should I insert Albus too? No idea, we will see.
> 
> On another note, we are coming to an end with the political issues in America now. We know Gellert wanted to start his movement in that country but failed because Seraphina, Harry and the boys were fighting against him for many years, as an unknown, unrelated treath. 
> 
> He tends to act on his own: he plans and commits the murder of the Director of Magical Security alone, and hunts the Obscurus alone too. And he is drawn to men like Albus: intelligent, powerful and with strong ideas, more emotional than himself (but I'm not saying he wants to pounce on our Percy). He tends to resort to invasion of personal space to unnerve people, and likes to have a civil conversation with the object of his interest...even when said object hates him and wants to strangle him to death. 
> 
> Please tell me what you think! :D


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